MILITARISM IN NEW ZEALAND. Unnecessary and Expensive.

Free Lance, Volume II, Issue 64, 21 September 1901, Page 8

MILITARISM IN NEW ZEALAND. Unnecessary and Expensive.

THE annual report of the Commandant of the Forces emphasises the fact that our moderately accurate, drill-hall soldiery have wasted an aggregate of hundreds of years in trying to perfect themselves in a useless art that will never be needed The recommendation krform camps of instruction for the whole of the forces is a reasonably good one if the people really believe that it is necessary to have a large military establishment to resist any possible attacks on this island by a designing enemy. The average New Zealander, who knows nothing of evolutionary movements, who has never spent a single field day, but whose sole qualification to fight is the fact that he is intelligent, healthy, and can use a rifle, is a better man for the purpose than he who has learnt to perfection the art of posting pickets or challenging the "grand rounds " * ♦ * If the people of New Zealand would not believe it, the up-keep of volunteer corps is of questionable utility With' its large staff of permanent highly-paid officials, and its conscientious desire to emulate the officialism of its English prototype, it is useful only that it forms a reasonably good excuse for the community to cheer on patriotic occasions. Without the expenditure of a single sovereign, without even the donning of a khaki jacket, but with intelligent officers, who need not necessarily be "good soldiers," New Zealand might take the field to-morrow, and make any intending foe exceedingly unhappy. * * * New Zealand would most assuredly adopt guerilla tactics m case of attack, and the guerilla who was unshaven and wore a blue shirt would be of as much assistance to her as the smartest volunteer, their intelligence and shooting powers being equal. Brother Boer is not a military man, but he is a soldier who insists on England spending a million and a quarter pounds a week to subdue him He has attended no camp of instruction in Ins life, but he has, like evciy New Zealandcr. spent evciy minute he has to spare m purslut of his national spoit rifle shooting * • » Every burgher belongs to a commando, and he is called on only when necessity compels him to arm, and do his best He is practically on the same footing as a New Zealand citizen under the militia regulations, and the expense of his permanent military staff, for the guidance of artillery, has been small If the volunteei forces of New Zealand were disbanded to-morrow, the country could take the field a year hence with the same chance of success as she could to-nioirow Theie is no necessity for this countiy to slavishly follow European precedent , * * * The methods employed by Euiopc aie not requned in New Zealand. The spirit of patriotism is as much alive under a blue jumper as under a khaki jacket, and the country will not be any safer for the spending of any large or small sums m the formation of camps of instruction Had the Boers possessed an organised army, believing in European traditions, their country would have been England's eighteen months ago. By increasing the facilities of citizens in the art of shooting, irrespective of their position, military or civil, the countiy will be ready to give as good an account of herself as if she were clothed fiom end to end in khaki and red tape.