CABLE NEWS

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2441, 4 March 1909, Page 5

CABLE NEWS

IMPERIAL DEFENCE. THE GENERAL STAFF SCHEME. DISCUSSED BY COMMONWEALTH CABINET. United Press Association, Copyright MELBOURNE, March 3. The Federal Cabinet has discussed Mr. Haldane’s Imperial general staff -scheme. While the general idea -was adopted, it was decided to make Australia’s participation subordinate to complete local control. Mr. Fisher, the Prime Minister, stated that the Government favored every kind of interchange of officers,, but wanted to safeguard itself aaginst any Imperial control of the Commonwealth Government as regards our officers. [The Canadian Government approved the scheme, and expressed gratification that local control had been safeguarded. The organisation of the general staff has been summarised as follows:—(1) A central body,, with headquarters in London, working directly under the Chief of the General Staff, to draw up plans for tho defence of the Empire as a whole and collect and disseminate general information. (2) Local sections in the United Kingdom, in every regular British garrison abroad, in every self-governing Dominion, and in India. These might be subdivided into local headquarters. The local staff, with local troops in every section, would have a chief, and would deal with questions connected with local defence and the training of troops on •lines similar to those new followed in the United Kingdom. (3) The chief of the local section of the General Staff would he the adviser of his own Government, and also head of all General Staff officers in liis section.] A PATRIOTIC ASSURANCE CO. CONDEMNED BY LABORITES. (Received March 3, 9.50 p.m.) LON noi\, March 3. The Alliance Assurance Company has announced that its new clerks will be obliged to join the territorials before. engagement. In reply to Radical questions Mr. Haldane said that he heartily approved of the company’s action.

Mr. F. W. Jowett, on behalf of the Labor party, gave notice of a motion condemning Mr. Haldane on the ground that tho Alliance Co.’s action Avas a specious form of conscription. Air. Haldane, speaking at Newcastle, foreshadowed the creation of an army comparable in size Avith those of the great military Powers, and said that the reforms Avore merely to give effect to the resolutions of the Imperial Conference and to give a proper organisation to the existing citizen corps.

DEFENCE OF AUSTRALIA. ME. G. H. REID’S VIEWS. (Received March 4, 12.48 a.m.) SYDinEY, March 3. Mr. G. H. Reid, speaking on do fence, ridiculed the Australian navy, and declared that there was no necessity for compulsory military training. His for the next ten years would be to make forts, garrisons and officers efficient. He would rather spend £BO,OOO on a military college than on. a torpedo destroyer. He would have a zealous cadet movement and a universal system of school drill, and the establishment of factories for the manufacture of small arms ammunition.