PARTIAL CONSCRIPTION.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1505, 30 July 1912, Page 10

PARTIAL CONSCRIPTION.

1 ADMIRAL SEYMOUR'S VIEW OP ;• ■■ ' IJfPEEIAL DEFENCE. , Responding at Hotel Cecil, London, '■' at a banquet to debates to the Congress < ■ of Chambers of Commerce to the toast of ■.'■ ■ ther Forces, Admiral Sir Edward Seymour ■', ' said: "There were only two nations to i , whom a powerful navy is of paramount < ' • importance—onr qwn ami Japan. (Cheers.) ' •< They were both island Empires. In. the • case of England the matter was much ' exaggerated. The position of our vast ' : \ colonies and tho position of India ren- :' y :dered the Navy of absolute importance and a'necessity'to us. But our Army was ' not half big enough. (Cheers.) . "My opinion," he went ou, "is that I should like to see it increased by a par- ' tial. system, of conscription. (Cheers,) If : we could liind in Europe in a week's time half the number of highly-trained troops ■ that Japan (whose population'is not much ' larger than ours) could land in Korea, J " believe that such a contingent from this ' country, added- to our Navy, would go : very far towards, preserving the peace, of ' Europe. (Applause.) ; "I have watched with regret the with- ; drawal of our flag and our ships of war [ jfrom distant parts of the world. I think, 'it to be a great mistnlce.'" h We ¥noiv ; w'hy it is done. It is done because wo are afraid of a certain nation which I need, not name, but I believe, that it has been very much overdone, and I hope that in, the,fuhir© rliat matter wilUre amended."