The Daily News. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15. SAFEGUARDING OUR NATIONAL INTERESTS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 61, 15 November 1907, Page 2

The Daily News. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15. SAFEGUARDING OUR NATIONAL INTERESTS.

11IC duty of safeguarding the United Kingdom and the various outlying portionw of the British Empire is all everpresent- problem by no means easy to satisfactorily solve. The two essentials for securing absolute gaiety are a sufficiency of armed forces—both naval and military—ami the provision of enormous sums of money annually for maintenance. There a/e numerous difficulties with reganl to the supply of both of these _ requirement*, consequently the vital interests of the Empire are jeopardised in a way that may afford much i satisfaction to rsiicli a Power as (iermanv, but induces anything but a pleasant feeling in the minds of those British subjects who are inclined to look forward to a time when England mav be involved in war. Even the present 'head of the Imperial War Office, .Mr. llaldane, recognises that an invasion of the United Kingdom is a "possibilityagainst which it is needful to stand 011 constant guard. Once admitting this danger, it stands to reason that were the contingency to happen, the position of the colonies would be far more desperate than that of the Mother Country. When it is remembered that the capital outlay entailed on the Imperial Treasury consequent on the conflict with the Boer Republics amounted to £250,000,000, some idea may be formed of the price in money alone that is entailed in being unready to meet such an emergency. Surely this enormously costlv lesso'n should not lie allowed to pass into history without producing such an effective reorganisation of our naval and military forces as the price in men and money demands.

The first step towards the creation of a larger fighting force has been taken by the Minister for War, who has promulgated a scheme for converting the existing elements of a territorial army into a force worthy of the name. The idea, which is based 011 patriotic principles, has for its object the bringing of the whole nation into close touch with the army, making them feel that the army is "just their own selves." Another feature in the scheme is that by the creation of County Associations, the spirit of rivalry will act as an incentive to efficiency, much in the same way as ill cricket and other sports. Whether this will be so or not remains to be proved, but these self-contained fighting forces are not intended to lie merely men with rifles, but as like the regular army in every respect as they can be made. There is to Iw good field artillery, cavalry, and other branches of the service, all fully equipped with modern weapons. The men are to be asked to engage for four years, to go into camp for fifteen days annually, but they are permitted to resign at short notice, and valid excuses for absence from training will be freely accepted. It is the willing men only that are wanted, and these are promised freedom from being harassed or worried. The scheme will certainly test the public spirit of the nation. Though the process of obtaining this territorial army may be somewhat slow and he subject at times to the effect of friction, it may fairly be assumed that all concerned will work to-' getlier in a spirit of common endeavor. Primarily it will be an army of home defence, and in a lesser degree it may become a" reserve for the field force.

It may be said that this scheme is all very well for the United Kingdom, but how does it affect the colonics? The reply to this query is that the colonial Premiers have undertaken to organise their local forces as nearly as possible upon tile llome pattern, so that in tbe course of time throughout the Empire there will be a general system of mili-_ tary training—not tlie perfunctory piaying at but an •rtffiiest movement embracing all that is most useful and effective in military tactics as exercised iii actual warfare. It is almost too much to expect that the burden of defending their respective territories will he entirely placed 011 these willing patriots, but we cannot lose sight of the fact that if the time should ever arrive when any colony is threatened with invasion it will surely be at that moment when Great Britain is engaged in war with a foreign Power and will need all tbe resources at her command. India and Egypt are both sources of danger from within and without. If England was suddenly called upon to fight, say, in j India. 100,000 men would probably be the most that could be sent to reinforce ; the present armv there—a supplement, admittedly inadequate for the purpose. Lord Roberts estimates that at least 500,000 men would be needed, but even if half that number sufficed, it is doubtful whether it would be forthcoming. Certainly there would be none t.o spare for New Zealand or Australia, however pressing tbe need. Moreover, by the time that any help could possibly arrive it would be far too late to save tlie colonies. The colonies must rely on their own resources for protection against invasion. However highly the enormous potential resources of the Motherland and the colonics may be valued, they are absolutely of 110 utility until the necessary moulding process has been gone through and the requisite equipments provided. Though invasion may seem a very remote possibility, it may any day lie an accomplished fact. The promise has been made by the colonial Premiers to second the attempts of the Home Government in the creation of defence forces. Its fulfilment will be the first step towards allaying alarm and safeguarding as far as possible the lives anil property of the people. To remain in blissful callousness of the risk that is ever present is to live in a fool's paradise and hasten the day of conscription.

'Leaving the arena of the abstract and / coming to tlie concrete, there is much food for serious reflection in the movement that has grown to serious dimensions in Germany. Tlie cult of Panfiermanism is being spread w-itli ceaseless perseverance and industry. Its object is to create a united Empire consisting of tiie Teutonic races—Oermany, Austria. Scandinavia, Switzerland, and probably Denmark. Germany as an Empire lias existed only since 1871, when the victory over the French gained by Prussia with the help of the German States was made the occasion of cementing Imperial unity. As an Empire, one i of its first essentials is the acquisition of colonics to make room for the natural expansion of an industrial and warlike people, t'p to the present the Kaiser has not much cause to lie proud of his colonics, while the isolation of Germany indicates the existence of a feeling amongst the other Great Powers that' the illimitable ambition of the German Emperor, backed up by his vast military and naval programme, means mischief sootier or later. As a matter of fact, tlie Pan-Germanists do not disguise their ultimate aim. For them there exists but one obstacle to expansion and supremacy Great Britain therefore Great Britain must be crushed. This muclwlcsircd result merely awaits the i favorable opportunity that would pre-1 sent itself when England was at war with some other Power. Then it is proposed that Germany should step in and not only crush Great Britain, but seize her colonies and live happily ever after. This is a sketch of what some people may regard as a political farce. There are other nations to be reckoned W'ith. such as .lapan and America. All the same, there is the small cloud, hardly J the size of a mans hand, yet who wiil, say when the stcirm will burst'; There I is nothing very impossible about the dream ot these enthusiasts. Tts rcalisalion rests entirely upon the accident of opportunity. Few will doubt the existence of tlie desire, and it is onlv wise to take heed of its portent. At least, the project should cive added weight to the reasons for putting our defence mi the best possible svstem. At present. New Zealand lies at the mercy of any Power infected with the spirit of seizure and conquest.