The Daily News WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28. OUR DEFENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 261, 28 October 1908, Page 2

The Daily News WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28. OUR DEFENCE.

Speaking oil the subject of the defence of New Zealand at the JilutV on Saturday night, the l'remier said lie wild not in favor of an organised militia or bringing out the militia for three weeks' drill every year. It cannot be denied that public opinion is opposed to compulsory service like the compulsory military service in. vogue in Europe. An a Government who legislated ill tint direction would soon be hurled from oiliee. lint the encouragement of technical training and the use of the rifle is epiite another matter. In the alternative to compulsory service for adults, it is necessary that every youthful citizen should receive a thorough grounding in drill. And this could lie accomplished by making it obligatory for all boys after leaving school to serve two or three years in what might be called a national cadet service. In years hence, were such a system in operation, practically every young New Zealand?!under thirty years of age, whether th.in serving in the volunteers or juit, would have more than an elementary knowledge of drill, tactics, and arms. Where it is Us'less to urge a period of annual training for adults, this system, then, offers the best substitute, for there is no getting away from the fact that "soldiering" is popular at school, nii-1 what a boy learns when he is young remains with him through life. Everv inducemeni, of course, should lie ofl'ered to the youth of the country to continue their period of training by joining the volunteers, who must remain the first line of our territorial defence. Such a cadet system in time will ensure that every healthy New Zealand-born male possesses a knowledge of drill and discipline, dormant, perhaps, hut awaiting only the moment of necessity to be recalled.

That we might become a nation proficient in rilte-shooting, it is necessary that familiarity with the riile should not cease with service in cadet corps. Every man who is an ellicient shot is a valuable asset to his country in time of war, and the country should bear the cost of his training. This, wi> are convinced, is the weakness in our present defence system. Too little encouragement—in fact, practically none at all — is given to rifle cluhs. Hundreds of men cannot afford the time, or their circumstances do not permit of them complying with the volunteer regulations, to join this branch of the service, i'ew men, however, would object to learning to use the riHe, and of practising shooting as their leisure permitted. In tin country districts the very cream of the yeomanry of New Zealand is being lost ' for the defence of the Dominion. Except in certain favoreu localities supporting mounted ritle corps, volunteering is not suitable to the convenience of rural dwellers. Whereas volunteering involves sacrifices principally 011 lh'time of our defenders, membership in .1 rifle club, under present conditions, involves very considerable monetary! sacrifices. This is the obstacle in the way of popularising rifle-shooting as the pastime it should become. Every possible system making for the defence of the country should be tried before it is seriously proposed to resort to compulsory service. Let the Government establish in every centre depots for the distribution of rifles iind ammunition, and encourage the formation of ride clubs under district control, a'ld we venture to believe the present apparent indifference to the question of defence will soon lie dispelled. While it would be too much to hope that New Zealand, because of the splendid natural security which is ours by reason of our geographical isolation,

. must remain immune from hostile invasion. it must be admitted that there is little likelihood of invasion by an effective army. The stupendous difficulties of transporting an effective army across thousands of miles of ocean patrolled by an . enemy's cruisers have never yet been overcome. On this question, as the Premier pointed out, the most experienced military men are of one opinion, that in New Zealand anl Australia we have not to make provision for the possibility of invasion by a foreign army, but only for minor attacks by way of raids. This, then, is the class of attack New Zealand has to be prepared to repel. Infective range shore batteries and artillery, j under the rapidly-changing conditions of I gunnery, are almost impossible of at- ! tainment with us on account of the prohibitive expense, but enough can be' provided to cover the defence of a patriotic force of effective rifle-shots. As New Zealand develops and population increases, the more costly repelling engines of war will the more easily be provided, hut it is obvious that if we, build up a manhood capable of taking' the field to prevent a raiding force being successful in gaining a footing in any i part of the Dominion, we will have done all that can reasonably be expected at! present. That may best be accomplished by thoroughly training the young New 1 Zealnnder at a time when his period of service is to hun merely a recreation, and when his mind is most receptive. Such universal training in drill and elementary tactics of war, coupled with the volunteer system and national practice in rille-shonting. would soon warrant New Zealand in considering herself ready for au emergency.