FOR DEFENCE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 894, 13 August 1910, Page 5

FOR DEFENCE.

UNIVERSAL MILITARY TRAINING. THE NEW DEFENCE BILL. On the subject of the' Defence Act of 1909 and the amending Bill now before the House, the Subcommittee of the. United Men's and Women's Public Committee for Universnl Jlilitary Training has reported as follows:— 1;' It if> to bo presumed that Parliament will follow the course adopted last year, and refer the Bill to a Se-kct Committee, and'call for reports from the headquarters staff. 2. It is submitted that the Bill should be am'ended to provide in terms for— (I) (a) The continuance of universal training between 18 and 21; and (b) a number of other matters now left to , the regulations; and, . ,; (II) The carrying out. of Lord Kitchener's sehemo in its entirely, and, in particular, its emphatic injunctions regarding appointments to the staff corps, of; officers.

3. The Bill provides for universal.training betiveen 18 and 25, but the apparent intention of the Government is to train merely the "quota' required under Lord Kitchener's scheme, that is, merely onethird of those between 18 and 2!i.

Apart from the military advantages to the country arising from the-system .of the universal training betweea IS and 21 established last year, it was generally felt, that there would bo great gain to the national character. The system was achieved only after many years of work, and the benefits to be expected are far too substantial. to permit of the system being put aside without trial. . Then follows a reference to certain matters wliich, in the opinion of the committee, should bo definitely determined by the Act, instead of reserved for the regulations. These include the method of selecting the quotas, periods of training, exemptions, methods of training by areas, the nine main heads of the duties of tho urea ofnceiy the selection of area officers, tho establishment of staff corps, selection and training of citizen officers and non-commissioned officers, and- so on, the report concluding with the following observatins:— . •

"The reasons .that made) it desirable to provide lost year for universal training between 18 and 21, make it equally desirable (as. already 'mentioned above) now to retain that provision, and further make it desirable to provide for universal Hraining or some equivalent service to the country, or some form of taxation, between 21 and'2s. ' Only thus, will those who arc not of tho best physique have a chance of obtaining the benefits of the training, arid only, thus can the twothmls of the young men.of New Zealand, wh'o aro not in the quotas, share lh« privilege and the burden of helping m tho defence of their country. Tho new; scheme is by a master in finance and war* and commands national support, irrespective of party. To depart from it leaves the country.without a standard by which to test its measures for defence, and . national honour, and national safety both demand that. the ■country should adopt the scheme- in its entirety.