The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 29. DEFENCE v. DEFENDERS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81834, 29 August 1906, Page 2

The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 29. DEFENCE v. DEFENDERS.

I'ROIIAULV the forthcoming retirement ol the reigning commandant ot the New Zealand forces is the reason for the extraordinary and perhaps unpara!!c:cd interest of some people in the (iu<slion of national safety. Undoubtedly, there is no question ol equal importance before the people at the present time. Unfortunately, however, the subject is not creating the interest it should among tho whole communitv, and most 01 the work of calling the attention to defence neglects is done in the big cities of the colony. The retiring commandant recently remarked that the physique of the town volunteei was'nt very K°od. Of course the invader doesn't care whether he is shot bv a man with a thiriy-two inch chest or one with the measurement o! a heavy-weight prize-fighter, but the point we want to emphasise is that volunteering is heard a good deal more of in the cities merely becauso the volunteers are used for the purpuses of show.

A NATIONAL League of New Zealand has b'*cn formed in Auckland lor the universal defensive training of the mail's of this colony. The league apparently recognises the obvious truth thai the defence of any country is the business of every one in that country. Countries without standing armies simply make a lev\ oil the male population when troub e breaks out, and history tells all who care to read it, that vistories are possible to Others than machine tinned men m gaudv clothes. If you studj the American War of Independence, ihe American Civil War, the records of the ■ 1-ranc-lireurs' in the Franco-German war, the commando plan in the ex-Dutch Republics ot South Africa, the fact that most of tho victories in the Crimean campaign Wire won by men who were hastily recruit" d and sent to the seal of war at once, you will find that the machine turned person is not the onlv pebble on the military beach. '* * *

THE object of that League in Auckland is "to ensure domestic peace.' You can never have peace without being prepared for war. You can t have safely in N. Z. if you depend on the volume: rs solely. \ou are nut going to Lido and allow the pool lit;:e volunteer- to do all the fighting when the time comes for it to be done. The authorities, by the way, would not permit you to hide. \ou would have 10 "double" out with tho rest. It will be better fur you t" know what to do in the most business like wav in that future time. We don't call you disloyal for refusing to j. in a volunteer corps, but we do call yiiii disloyal if you refuse to fit yourself to become the best possibk kind of defender of your country—a soldier in the least humiliating sense of the word, a patriot in the very best sense of the term. * * * *

PatuiOTlP.m isn't much yood without a nun, ;:nd a gun isn't any good withcut ammunition. And neither i> anv good" whatever unless (.lie knows how to use both. That's why that League';, suggestion to have riflcrajjKCs in every township and miniatuie in urban and suburban school districts is surii a gooc idea. Vou will learn to fire a rifle with 11re.1 \- e,<d effect as soon as the necessity arises so as "t > gvt the drop'' on the other fellow, who ma; be more expert then you. there is no ''jiii^oi-.i7i ' '•! palriotic

"MailickinK :md ''deiencf ' didn'i mean llic same tiling. Howling foi blood ill a lintel bar may appear to b> heroic to tin' barman, but it doesn' kill any of the country's enemies I'll is lilt.'e c< urn iiy doesn't want an\ enemies. and it doesn't want war. 1: this country going- to lie clown and bslain because (i.) It hasn't got guns: (2.) Because it hasn't got ammun ilioii; (3.) Because only a few people ate acquainted with the use of either: * * *

A GREAT deal (if misapprehension cx nhout the Cadet system of thu country. Many people believe thai there is only one Kind of cadet —the thilduith the toy Lieut-Co! Loveday has the honor of commanding, The child is the State School cadet. He is not a part of the defenci of the country. Colonel LovedayV title is a volunteer title and he is a non-cumbatant for all practical purposes. The Defence Force cadet?

are "a horse of another colour. •' They arc armed with effective carbines. Their inspecting" officer is Captain John Hughes, I). S. 0.., a man with service that would have won him :.he Y.C. had he belonged to an Imperial regiment. * • * * *

If the Defence Department cn courage,) Ibe Defence cadets, it is more ilian piubable the cadet force would wipe the viiluuteci force out. Vou can't beat teaching the young idea. Vou can beat infusing- into the minds of anyone with a gun however the idea that a gun is a machine to be kept clean and stuck in a corner. Vou can beat allowing people to believe that volunteers and cadets are ''delencc," and you can laugh as long as you like about the truth of the allegation that an officer of the Imperial Army is the only person capable of looking; after defence matters in t country. It is no more necessary to import a British Colonel to run the (lelenees than it is necessary to import a British politician to take the Premiership of New Zealand. It seems to have been almost forgotten that a New Zealand officer who saw brilliant service in Africa, held as high a command-and the same rank as our now-retiting commandant. Major-General Babington—lk was then and is now a Colonel in the Army—acted as brigadier. The only New Zealand officer who had a Minilar hen ,11 r was Col. Davics. C.8.. now commanding the Am kiand Uis. ' I'iel. If the General Officer i-oni--1:1.:: u! i;! 1; ill Ail e a br.ieved Go onel I).iv e- a til and proper peisnn to take .1 1 oltimn into .11 lion, --honk not the New /--aland I),-lean- Department 1 onsider him a hi and piopcr ,0 -uciecd a gentleman who ha* had in greater trust than the colonel uili'-ct :

V\K maiKU: that a colonel uil'ici'i V" 1;M understand (he colonial defender belli';- ilutn ;m Imperial officer. I'e wou'd ie>i m.< essari'v believe that tile ''ii■> possible defender was a vol"'"ii'l - He illicit be enthusiastic ii).nj;h to advi'-e the country, and 1 "> 1 ••iily tin- viilunnvrs to defend 'slioies. He nii.y In be a btisi- '""••• man as well as a man. ll'' iniv(il send a v,''>"tlly number nf 'l'e si .ill' pai kin.t!', and he mij;lit e,,n '' ' v '' '' duty tii pu! business nteii m a- stall olhrejs, whose aim I i such ■ I '.oasMera! ion ji> clI no! necessarily thai they uel'e ari-.t'.cialieally '" l! 'i. 'le m.ike defence a nali.mal spun and n,n a national I'""-- I ''' 'all tor mui-e rifles '"id !'ss braid, uh.tc brains and less I'""" 11. lie iii ii; [it exercise the livlil lie would possess to car] on! lie Ins!, -eeond and third class niilI'la.and he mijjit b'' strong enough l" in -Ist en beinn hoard despite ; , nv ]"d"-b me! I I,'i,|.aiini"iit winch mil-jit Irv i,, handicap him. Me ii'iv.l"l in fact make the defence "f this eotintrv less of a farce. [Since til'' above was in type, the I'iiiHinirtl Sialeiiii'iii with the (hi. s defiiH" p:i .p.a[s lias ' 'iii ; ' to hard, and it will b . noticed that many of the eestions mad.' in the article a.re to re. ceivn treatment cm the lines we advocate.]