Rangitikei Advocate. SATURDAY, MAY 18, 1907. SECOND EDITION. EDITORIAL NOTES

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXII, Issue 8816, 18 May 1907, Page 2

Rangitikei Advocate. SATURDAY, MAY 18, 1907. SECOND EDITION. EDITORIAL NOTES

AT Birmingham recently Lord Roberts delivered an address under the auspices of the National Service League upon national defence. In discussing Mr Haldane’s proposals for remedying the existing state of affairs, ho said ho found himself between Scylla and Ohyahdis. If he criticised them adversely and prophesied their failure it would be said thaat he was trying to spoil the chance of success of a measure which might, if well supported, enable us to obtain military security on purely voluntary lines. On the other band, if lie supported the scheme he was liable to be classed with those soldiers with whom Mr Arnold-Foster accused of promoting it because they knew it was so bad that it must fail, and to pave the way for the introduction of a compulsory military system. The best way out of the difficulty, perhaps, was for him to say exactly what he thought of the scheme without troubling himself as to the comments which that opinion would bring forth. He had no hesitation in saying that the scheme of Mr Haldane’s represented the greatest stop; forward in the direction of a great- national army that diad ever been mado officially. He was the first British Minister of War to recognise the truth which the National Service League had been urging on the nation for the last five years. Mr Haldane had not only spoken plainly to the people, but he had recognised a vital truth. He had, indeed, gone further, and outlined a scheme which at first might give some hope of realising the ideal of a nation in arms with all the forces of the country welded into one; for, 'while the regular army would ho better organised for war, the second line would no longer consist of the heterogeneous forces which at present existed, with different standards of efficiency, varying rates of pay, competing one with the other for recruits, and deficient in arms, staff, equipment, and organisation. In their place we should have a Territorial Army properly organised into divisions of all arms, and—a matter of the most importune©— closely related to local interests and inspired by local sentiments and affection. In so far as Mr Haldane’s scheme laid the foundation for ajnational army, it was cordially welcomed by the National Service League. It provided the basis and framework of a truly national army, but it must remain tho “baseless fabric of a dream” unless wo applied to it the touchstone of a nation’s patriotism. If the people of Groat Britain would at last accept the principle of personal military training for national defence as an honourable duty which every citizen should be proud and eager to perform —if they would show tho same spirit of practical patriotism which was shown by the free and democratic people of Switzerland—Then the skeleton of Mr Haldane’s scheme would bo clothed in flesh and blood, and we should have instead of unsubstantial shadows molting away before tho shock of war an edifice of polished granite based upon the people’s will, and capable of resisting the blast of tempest and the storm of battle. It was because he was firmly convinced that only in tho performance of national duty was to ha found the secret of national safety and strength that he urged the great reform for' which the National Service League was working.

NEW'ZEALAND in twenty days is , a splendid catchword, and Sir I Joseph Ward is to be commended for ; his strong advocacy of more rapid , communication as a means of uniting ■ the Empire. At the same time it is clear that not only the British Govi eminent but also tho Canadian and ■ Australian Premiers regard tho speed 1 suggested by Sir Joseph Ward as 1 quite impossible of attainment. Sir 1 Wilfrid Lanrior proposed a 24 days’ service to Australia, allowing four days to the Atlantic, four days across Canada, and an 18 knot service from Vancouver to Sydney, which could reach Sydney in 24 days and New Zeal;;;; lin 28 days. There does not seem any cLnbt that tho Atlantic and Canadian part of this proposal can be attained in the immediate future, but the New Zealand Premier complained that the 18 knot service would bo of no value to New Zealand, as it would not ho any bettor tlifm tho defunct San Francisco service. In view of tho strong representations made by Sir Joseph Ward the motion originally proposed by Sir W. Lanrier was altered to road—“ That it is advisable that Britain bo connected with Canada, and through Canada with Australia and Now Zealand, by the best service available within reasonable cost.” Sir Joseph Ward practically desires a service as good as that provided by the Ounard lino between New York and Liverpool to be inaugurated between Vancouver and New Zealand. Such a service is possible between America with a population of 80 millions and Britain with a population of 40 millions, but the passengers carried are not of the emigrant class. The New Zealand line could carry no through cargo owing to tho cost of transhipment, and, if wo may judge from the comparatively small number of persons *who used the San Francisco service, would not draw many passengers from New Zealand. We ■ therefore consider that the 20 days’ service is

out of the question at present, but that is no reason for giving up the idea of an all-red route, and wo think that Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Britain should each decide on the subsidy they can afford in order to establish the most rapid communication as soon as possible that can he obtained for the money.