BRITAIN'S NEW ARMY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 35, 6 March 1909, Page 2

BRITAIN'S NEW ARMY.

Sl'liOXC "jii'I.WAJiK AUAI.VSI CONSCRIPTION. 1 Jfll'Eß IAL OIUUNISATIOX. ■MI!. IIA'LDANE'S STATEMENT.

Received 5. 11.10 p.m. Ivondon, March j. 111'. HaM'ano (Minister for War) i"i a long and detailed speech ihUAlilcing the Army Estimates, ».iid recruiting the year was singularly good. 'Tin* ap ,: * ■cial reserve was now 70,000, (K[Ual u, the old militia. ITe paid a generous tributu ■to the Daily -Mail and employers of labor in connection with tlie Territorials. I ■ This remark aroused the violent disapprobation of the Labor bendies, ' .Mr. llaldane retorted that owing to | 'the breakdown of the auxiliary service*, | the nation was_ never nearer conserip- [ tioii. Tlie reccnC "movement establisaed

'more strongly the bulwark against eon'seripti.on than ever before. Thirty-three ■thousand men, he said, hail been added to the Territorial Arfn.v during lite last ■seven week*. The Army now numbered '2111.000. The root of the idea was lni■penal organisation, njid. where possible, ■oversea. •lomiliions n. work o:i a similar 'pattern of organisation, our own af ■fording a pussiitiiil v of co-opeiatio.n in 1 taee ol great necessity. The last tiling the Government dreamed of would DC to even suggest to tlie overseas colonies what, t'hev should do. The stall colleges had been'enlarged, aifu if was nmv possible to receive anv oversea- ollicei*. _ I : Mr. Nicholson stated that plans in ' connection with home defence hail been f completed, making sueeessful invasion II even less likelv than ill the past. n sir Charles Dilke criticised the l.ern manic trend of Mr. Haldanc.'s mind. ■' 'Mr. Arnold Poster ridiculed training a I- special reserve. Mr. Haldane, lie said, '' Uealt move with names than' with things. Ie IoH commented on the reduction of the lArmv 1)T 1(50,000 men. The reduction in Ulie 'cost', .namely. C 24.000, was on.y •nominal. It really was an 'increase oi £275.000, as £300,000 had been transferred to tlw Indian account.