TELEGRAMS EMPIRE DEFENCE

Evening Post, Volume LXXXV, Issue 31, 6 February 1913, Page 3

TELEGRAMS EMPIRE DEFENCE

THE DUTY OF THE DOMINION. (bt telegraph— special to the post.) CHRISTWIURCH, This Day. Mr. Hugo Friedlanuer, who has returned from a 'trip to Britain, &aid, in the course of an interview, that he was convinced that Lord Haldane was mistaken in supposing that he could with a force which had to go through six months' service before it was efficient for service prevent the country being invaded. If there was war between Great Britain and any European Power the enemy would hardly give Lord Haldane the six months he required. Mr. Friedlander's enquiries had convinced him that Lord Roberts was right in insisting that the second line of defence must have compulsory service. Lord Roberts also was on sound ground in calling for a reorganisation of the British military system. On one occasion recently the Kaiser proudly pointed out to Lord Roberts the -enthusiasm of the German people in Tegard to their army. The same thing ought to be observed 'in the United Kingdom and New Zealand. It it was true that this Dominion possessed a splendid climate and other natural advantages over other countries, it was worth some annual sacrifice in order that its people" might be able to defend it. If the people felt that it was not worth while to take the light annual burden the Government asked them to bear, they must be prepared some day to find that their country had been taken from 'them. Obviously, it was not a good policy to wait until that day actually approached.