Compulsory Military Training.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 4411, 15 May 1909, Page 3

Compulsory Military Training.

„ ■ , ——* I Mu Eobert McNab who had charge of the Defence Department for two years, when he was a min'ster, has been converted to oonipnlsorv military train®nd will shoiily address the people wr x 6 Thames on the subject. Mr McNab has a plan of his own which he intends to elaborate. Questioned on the point he explained some of the details, and as he will touch on this phase of the question while at the Thames the following particulars may be interesting .“I have thought out a scheme and given attention to the obligations of all sictions of the community. I am not advocating compulsory military service without any idea of the shape it should take. If it were adopted as a principle naturally it would be for the Parliament of the country to draw up a scheme with what modifications it pleases. I would commence at the age of about nineteen, and enforce compulsory training during a period of not more ’than five lyears. 1 The first year’s training should be for a period not exceeding one month, and during the other four 1 it should not be more than a fortnight each year. The training should take place in fixed camps, a camp being provided for each volunteer district, and men liable for service eotfld be given the right of selecting a date at which they would go into camp. The c imp could be run for four months, and the men given an opportunity of selectlag any month. So much for the first year’s training. In regard to the other years, I would make the period include Easter, so as to reduce to a minimum fhe inconvenience of a number of men being away from any particular establishment at the same time. There wculd be no exceptions to the compulsion except failure to pass the medical test and possibly there would be no objection to allowing men who had others depending upon them for a living applying in open Court and getting exemption. I would make all classes of the community go into camp together and allow of no reductions of time. If it were convenient for those pissing through their period of compulsion they might after the first yre,r s t ervice be allowed to putin the whole of their three year’s period at one time. The men would be paid for their attendance at camp. How much is for Parliament to fix ? 'lf the compulsory service was limited to three years it would not cost more than the 'present system until the third year. After the third year it would only cost a small amount more. Under a system limited to three years training, and counting on a ten per cent. reject ; on by the medical authorities we ivonld get 9,000 men annually into our camps, so that at the end of three years there would be 20,000 men in camp. I would allow volunteers to go in as men whose compulsory term had pxpired, but the enthusiastic men would 911 be wanted for instructors, officers, aud non - comissioned officers, and in that way they would continue volur.teer service.”