DEFENCE NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 954, 22 October 1910, Page 12

DEFENCE NOTES.

[Edited By Echelon.] POPULAR VOTE ON FIGURE TARGETS. LORD ESHER ON "THE VOLUNTEER PRINCIPLE." Colonel A. J. Godley, who has been, appointed Commandant of the New Zealand Forces, with the rank of majorgeneral, commanded the Seventh Infantry Brigade during the recent army manoeuvres in England, relieving BrigadierGeneral Drummond, C.8., who was on.the sick list. ;'"•'•..

The "Englishman" announces the beginning about to be made in Calcutta' towards establishing in Calcutta a scout council, which wjll be affiliated to Sir Robert Baden-Powell's organisation at Home. A small,patrol of Boy Scouts has already been started, and judging by the enthusiasm and interest shown by. the boys whose names have been Registered, there is every reason' 1 to believe that the movement, can be organised on quite a large scale.

In England the Women' 9 Sick and Wounded Convoy Corps have been training under canvas, this being their first experience of camp life as a unit. .Of the corps' total strength of about 50, 35 are in camp, and near them were' encamped ten members of the staff of the Royal Army Medical Corps. The training began daily at 6 o'clock. -The object of the corps is to act in case of war at home in conjunction with the Territorial Forces as the link between the field ambulances and clearance hospitals and; : the stationary hospitals established at the base.' Elementary military drill is taught for the sake of ensuring discipline and efficiency, and the : members also learn stretcher drill, etc., nursing andcookery- for the'. sick, physiology, and anatomy. They are taught to ride, but' aro not a mounted corps. It is, intended eventually to have a three years' course,, and to grant a certificate'of efficiency at. the end of each year's training. The corps are authorised to form detachments for the British; Red. Cross Society, and they have' already formed two detachments in London. '"• ;

■Members of the' National Rifle. Association have voted in favour,of the retention of the much : discussed! figure target, so- far as- thsv'soo yards range is' con-, cerned. As announced recently) ■ the council sent-out to eaoh: member of the association a.post-card bearing the. following questions:— .' .•"■'•"••.■ ~. (1) "Are you,in favour of the figure target being used at.any range under 500. .yards?" :'•;■, ',-.-''.'■■ ••■'■' •.■ . ■ '•- ■ ,(2); "Are you in'favour of its retention at 500 yard 9?" .'■'.;.':'' . ,■ . ; : -.'. ■■-. (3) "Are you- in. favour of its being used at ranges over 500 yards?"; .'■-',- The number of circulars issued 'was '3126;. and of 1332 replies received 662' are in' favour of- the figure "target at one or more of. the distances and 598• against, it. An analysislof. votes shows the following results:—Question No. 1: For, 491; against, 767.' Question, Wo. 2: For, "637; against, 623. Question No. •s: For, 333; .against, 924. .':" ,i..'' .. .;' .. ■ Referring to :;the question, 'the' "Military Mail" reaiarked that "there is. little doubt .that thejwhole thing, has found its level. The target has had its trial, and good scores have-been.made on it. Nobody is afraid .oi it, and ; as the voting: is about equally divided for-and against, its retention at 500 yards, it may reasonably be concluded i that the council will feel themselves justified in making no alteration for. another' year at.least.. More serious matters awaiting their: attention." The ; significant : fact that not half the j3000:odi-members of the'association took 'the trouble to fill up and return their voting, papers has.its;sigr' nificance. It is at- any rate a .curious sequel to those almost hysterical" scenes, •that were witnessed at the Royal i United Service Institution in the .spring of 1910, when falUini with><Armyj Council; ideas and introduce the new ( target was mooted.- The habitues of Bisley are pretty well "agreed' that the storm in-a teacap may very'well :be:forgotten."

'. Lord Esher, in an interesting article entitled "The; Voluntary Principle," published' in a recent issue of "The National Review," expresses the opinion' that the days of voluntary'soldiering are: numbered, though the .has :made. the. British. Empire what, it is; < He says:: "Mr. Hatdme's plan was considered : to: be, and unquestionably is, .the- filial test of tho system of maintaining an adequate armed force by means of' paid and un-. paid .volunteers. The facts are before the world. Thsre is no secret 'about fhem.: All the .returns of figures are available,' and any one can draw an .inference. : I have sail and I say again, that, in my opinion, no-doubt;, we shall; not gel the annual: supply; of youig-men; that : we require; to make the plan work -in. its completeness. .'•' There, have been times when it was exceedingly•• difficult to.get the 30,000 recruits wanted for the Regular Army; -'.Sometimes''those responsible were almost in despair. .On the whole, however, the supply ' has' been : obtained. But at present" there is no sign that the 60,000 required annually for tho Territorial Force will be forthcoming. All the .sighs and portents are' adverse. Thers is no steady increase, no ..advance, however slight. Thero is, latterly, 'in. many cases, retrogressi.in.';'•';. .:. "There .are : many of ins .who have laboured hard, to bring success to. Mr. Haldarie's imaginative .and practical organisation -of the Territorial .Forces of. our country, ''There'are many'ofus who will relax' no.effort in the future ±o recruit and.administer these forocs; but it would be cowardice and an act of treachery) both to the responsible Minister of .the Crown and to the nation, ill-informed and lethargic as it is,.if those engaged in this task were to shrink from 7 speaking what they believe to be true, or from expressing ■ candid opinions, however unpalatable they may. be. No one can: contend that this is a.case;when the truth, if 'truth it be, is best unspoken, ..-'. . The view that w.e. have reached the limit of the nation's yield for the Territorial Force may be '.the true view, and if so, what graver decision lies" before the electorate ,to choose between leaving the forces of- the country below the minimum admitted by every, one to be necessary, and'imposing by law upon our children the duty to bear arms in the defenco?" '■"

"Forty' years ago," Lord Esher says, "voluntary schooling was abandoned as an educational' principle,.' and parents were obliged bylaw to send their children .to''school. These children are.now grown men, and they look with different eyes, upon the various forms of compulsion which have crept into our political system, and which culminated last year in- the compulsory grant of. a pension by those who can a-iord independence to old men and women who cannot.

"The voluntary principle. and ■• the compulsory principle are both quite common in our mixed'institutions, and it niust be difficult for a foreigner 'to differentiate precisely where; they overlap. Justice is administered half by volunteer judges, and half by paid professionals. Lunatic asylums are. maintained by compulsory taxation; hospitals by voluntary, contribution. "From some diseases men and women must be protected by force, whether they like it or not. Other,' and rio less terrible diseases they are free to spread with that full.degree of liberty which is the proud boast of the British race." The advance of democracy has made more -marked the unpopularity of free military service and gratuitous service to the State. The "plebiau," , lie declares, "is;suspicious, for he has been exploited for centuries by the wealthier classes, •and ho attributes the most sinister motives to'the man who is not in his direct pay or employ. "They are quite in their right, for it is obvious that under a democratic form.of government the only hold upon a man, the only security you have for his honourable performance of duty, is a salary and the power to.dock it. Disinterestedness, patriotism, even self-respect, are mere words of archaio meaning. We have seen for some time a growing demand in soiuo quartors for tho payment of members of Parliament. Objection to unsalaried, and therefore irresponsible magistrates is bound to be ■ taken seriously ' before long. The county councils, the county associations, their, chairmen and financial committees, are bound sooner or later to bo, the subject of attack on the ground that the people have no proper hold over them. And .thus, gradually will voluntary.service.in civil walkß ot life tend to disappear."