The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19, 1914. LORD KITCHENER'S GREAT SCHEME

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2232, 19 August 1914, Page 4

The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19, 1914. LORD KITCHENER'S GREAT SCHEME

Lord Kitchener's plans'for making large' additions to the strength of the British Army may be regarded as an indication that the Imperial Government dees not intend to take any- risks that can be avoided at a time when the safety of the Empire is at stake. ,It doe? not necessarily mean a prolonged war, or even that the men now being enrolled will bo callod on to .fight. Everything indeed points to a short war, for the financial'strain is--too great to bo long sustained. What the Home authorities no doubt feel is that whether the war be long or short they must be in a position to safeguard the interests of the Em' piro whatever may happen. They cannot afford merely to watoh and wait. They must act, and plan, and prepare- So that no sudden development may take them by surprise, if the course of events should make it necessary for Britain "to send more men to the Continent tho men must be in readiness,, and others must bo trained in order that the supply for service abroad may be kept up without unduly weakening the nation's power of defending its own shores. It is undoubtedly a big scheme that Lord, Kitchener has devised, but it is not too big when the magnitude of the conflict and the tremendous interests involved ar-i taken into consideration. For some time past military authorities have been strongly of opinion that the numerical strength of the British Army should be largely increased, and many military experts have urged tljat the country lwis boon depending too much upon the Navy. Loud Hodeuts arid others have urged that nothing short of a system of compulsory,

training can place Britain's defence system on a thoroughly satisfactory footing; but this solution of the problem has met with strong opposition from tho political party at present in power. Public opinion is, lidwever, becoming more and more favourable to the establishment of a Citizen Army, and tho effectiveness and smooth working of the new defence systems of Australia and New Zealand have already removed much of the mistrust and hostility which have- so fa,r blocked the way to tho adoption of a scheme of compulsory military service in the Motherland. The present crisis will probably give a fresh impotus to the compulsory service campaign, for it will make people realise more, fully' than in more peaceful times the vital importance of being prepared for any and every emergency that may arise. A month ago no ono imagined that Britain was on the verge of a great war. It oamo like a bolt from the blue, and its suddenness has succeeded in impressing the whole Empire with the needs 01 always being ready for tho unexpected. To bo unready is to court disaster. The splendid response of the United Kingdom to the call of the Imperial Government for half a million additional,soldiers is o convincing proof that the old war spirit of the British race has not disappeared. The need has brought the men, as it has at other crises in Britain's history; but numbers and enthusiasm are not everything. Soldiers require training to fit them for their work, and training takes time. Lord KiTOHENEE will not be content when half a million more men have come forward to fight for their country. He wants half a million : soldiersmen who have been instructed in'the~ art of war, and who know how to fight. His proposal is, practically speaking, equivalent to the reorganisation and reconstruction of the British Army without dislocating* the existing system. The new scheme is designed to fit into the old, and to enlarge and improve it without causing it k> stop working. It, is like increasing the' size and strength of a machine while the wheels are going round at full speed. ' TRe fact that Loed Kttchejier has been placed at , the bead of the Army at the present juncture will give confidencb and satisfaction to the whole Empire. HU plans show that, in addition to providing for the_ pressing needs of the moment, he is also making preparations for future contingencies. The Navy is, of course our principal weapon of attack 1 and defence; but. there are some things which a navy_ cannot, do, and it may be necessary in order to ensure complete victory for the Entente to send a very large British force to fiffht on the .Continent. No one can be certain' 1 what will happen. . The war may Some to an end more quickly than most people expect, but even should this 00 the case the preparations now being made will not have: been wasted. The world will have ! seen that when the emergency came the .Empire- was whole-heartedly united in its'determination to spare no. sacrifice to maintain Britain's in the forefront of the nations of Euiop'e.