UNIVERSAL MILITARY TRAINING.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9464, 5 June 1909, Page 5

UNIVERSAL MILITARY TRAINING.

MR MoNAB AT FEILDING. Z

The Drill Hall was crowded last night when the late Minister of Defence delivered an address on the above subject. The platform was decorated with flowers, ferns and flags, and besides the members of Feilding Borough Council there were several other prominent men of the district on the stage, including Mr Guthrie, M.P. Mr Mayor of the Town, presided.l Mr McNab was received with applause. He said he had found a wonderful interest aroused on the question of military defence all through the Dominion, and he. was pleased to meet such a large audience at Feilding. He wished to speak as the mouthpiece of the volunteer force that night. He had been associated with many branches of it and was still a member of that force. First he would speak as to the cause of its failure of that force and then as to means that should be adopted to bring the defence Jof the country to an adequate strength. The Mother Country was the i.only one in Europe that relied on volunteer effort, and Asiatic countries were now following the example of the nations of Europe in the matter .of universal training. He quoted at some length from Lord Roberts and went on to show that the one single Labour Government in the British Dominions (Australia) had been the first to propose universal military services. The speaker pointed out that the svstem he advocated was intended to'include rich and poor alike and induce them to stand side by side in the use of arms. The speaker confessed while at Sydney he bad gone to see Burns and Johnson train. He had then learned a lesson in the matter of defence and could easily comprehend that there was perfect peace in the locality of these men. He referred to Colonel Davis’s report on the New Zealand forces, and blamed the system for the fact that out of a paper force only 45 ont of each 100 were available. Men should be paid by the country for the time they lost in drill, etc. He had no doubt that'patriotism would induce men to offer themselves in case of war. But he asked in the words of Lord Robert “What does it matter to the wolf how large is the. flock of sheep.’’ He thought the cost of a universal system would not be more than £825,000 a year. Mr A. H. Atkinson moved: “That no system of defence can be,effective which.is not based on the principle o f universal military training.’’ Mr Tolley seconded the motion, which was carried with only one dissentient, who moved an amendment, which was not seconded. Mr Guthrie, in proposing a vote of thanks to Mr McNab, expressed the opinion that in years to come they would obtain all the defensive force they required from the cadet force, snob good samples of which he saw present in uniform that night. . Mr Pirani seconded, the motion, which was carried by appiapse. In replying, Mr McNab said, while having every admiration for the cadets, he wished to remind them that the defence of the country was the duty of men and not that of boys. - ■ After the public meeting the members uf the Defence League met and resolved “That notwithstanding the enthusiasm of the volunteers the voluntary system does not provide adequate means of defence, and we therefore ask the Government to introduce a system of universal military training of the young men. ’ ’ It was resolved to circulate the motion in the form of a petition to Parliament.