The Dominion. TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 1914 A FIRM REPLY TO ANTIMILITARISTS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2171, 9 June 1914, Page 4

The Dominion. TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 1914 A FIRM REPLY TO ANTIMILITARISTS

The, firm declaration made by tlift'j Prime Minister at Chrisf church on [ Saturday of tin? determination of Hi.; Government fa ffiaintain our present j system of compulsory military train- j ing- will undoubtedly meet frith the! approval and' support of un overwhelming majority di the peoplfi of New Zealand It is quite- certain that there can ho n«j going twfk in this matter. The sysieni. has now | befin established cm Belief fatmda- j tions, and the few diSsetitionts Who ] still entertain expectations of its j disestablishfnpftt have hot ilie rethfli- j est chance a! seeing th<i realisation [ of their hopes, The deputation from j the National Peace Cotiireil did not) throw any new light upon the qiies-! tion, the well worn anti militarist oh-1 jectiohs beiiig reiterated. They are j quite uneoimiunivg, ami tho logic of j facts has taken away >a»y terrors the old. bogies may once have had.fr,r a few timid pwpfc. The only .really new point raised was a suggestion that the Govcfirf&cafc should express regret to Japan for rertain remarks mado by- Sib lw IfAMU/iCtt, and that a pcrnia.aent Department of State should he set up for ibe nromotion of international friendship. The idea that Kctt Zealaiifl sh©uld apologise to Japan is of course too ridiculous for serious consideration. We would siiiiply wake a laughingstock of ourselves in the eye's of Mho world, ahd She Japanese themselves would. probably joni in the genera! merriment. .. The ,puunol ion 0.1 Sitternational goodwill is an excellent thing, and any rens.miab.le effort in that direction descries the hearty sympathy of every uir.n and woman in the. Domini wi; but 11k; idea of settihg itp a State Department, ! 'to understand the iiistitiiiiotis, habits, arid ways of btlwi nations'' is iWt likely to coiriiitehif itself to the caramon sense of ll:e community. New Zealand wfthts to he at .peace tfitii all the world, and a proper appreciation of the merits of' otter nations is certainty a. facto.?? in tho croation and mn.irii.ena.iu'e. of friciidly feelings. It is, hoivevef, difficult ta imagine how the setting up of a fflw State Department is going to give practical effect to these pmsetfaftti.y aspirations. A Minister foi* the Promotion of International Friendship would certnhily he a. unique deparlurc in the- Sphere- of fnorforn politics. The secretary of the Peace Council declared thftt the deputation stood for the absolute and iinconditif.iml repeal of the Defence Art. This statement has the H»erU of bcintf clear and explicit, and. (h.fl Pimm Ministkh's reply was enually definite and cmphatic. He Srti.d ila ; Government is going to gland or fall by the principle of the Act. It is seldom Unit, any ntfcasorc has hi»l s:idi emphatic ondoyscttocnt fraa the representatives or tec peopje as the law,

! providing for compulsory.,.'military I training.•> It. was. ; passed;: by the j .Ward GoverrM)Hmt,..with : tlio support of the li-efonii.' Party, which was then in Opposition ;• it was loyally administered by the Mackenzie Government during its brief term of -office; and the present Government is prepared to stand or fail by it. {There cab be fto reasonable tkrabt that the establishment of the defence schema was in accordance frith the will of the people, and the people have not the. slightest intention of abandoning it. No .one pretends that it is perfect,''and, as the Pitf.vr, .Ujsivtru told tte depuiati'uV, the Government would he glad to consider any suggestions for its improvement. ! i he experience gained in the actual working of the system will reveal its defects, ruid also indicate the most effective remedies for. tliera. As time gdfts on it will be modified here and there aa the need arises, so as to make it harmonise more arid more completely with the special circumstances and conditions of the life of the people, of New Zealand. Care must be taken to see that the cost- is kept well within the resources- of. the country, and to prevent its operation from unduly interfering, with the ordinary occupations of oii'f citizen soldiers. An adequate defence scheme cannot, of course, be carried on for nothing, but its cost is ilot a heavy price to pay for national safety, and in, addition to this, v/c have the satisfaction pi knowing that the military training which the lads of New Zea-land-are flow receiving cannot fail to improve'their bodily health and si.re.iieUien their mental and moral faculties., The recent parades in connection with the visit of Sik lan Hamiltos hate favourably iiapi'esSed the public with the value of the system from the point a! view of physical fitness. No open.-niinr!?t! man or woman could, have w&tc'iied s'iieti displays as those witnessed at Newtown. Park without feeling, that the lads art teaiAiiig by the discipline and training they are ii'ttirrgoinir •".nil without he.iiifr convinced that ■ike ymmg soldiers themselves thoroughly interested in their w-ork.