OUR DEFENCE FORCE

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 272, 7 April 1911, Page 3

OUR DEFENCE FORCE

a stirring speech. A: the > ; ;n;lf.inl banquet (iii Tuesday cv, ning, oiii- lit several excellent speeches made was that by Lieutenant-Colonel W. G. Malone. in reply to the toast of "The Army and Xavy." He .said the toast was an important one. but was generally proposed and received as a matter of course and without thought, lie craved leave to ask those present to think, especially now on the morrow of the posting of the proclamation muter the Defence Act, calling on every British male in Xew Zealand between the ages of 'l4 and 21 'to take up arms. The importance of the Army and Xavy to the British Empire was supreme. That Kmpire unbraced ,-ome one-lifth of the globe. Tor the protection of that Empire', people and trade, an adequate Army and Xavy were essential. Vet to-day the British Army was less than it was MO years ago. That gallant field-Marshal. Lord Roberts, said that the British Army was "a sham," and the speaker ventured to agree with that statement, in so far as it related to numerical strength. He believed, however, the Army to be better trained at. the present day for war than ever it was. It was a'volunteer army, but so far as the regulation army was concerned, only so in name. As to the volunteers proper, they, without any blame to themselves, were almost useless. In Xew Zealand, from beginning to end, there had been in respect of them a shocking waste of public money. Universal military training should prevail in the Empire, 'as it <lid in every other country. The nations of Europe now found by BITTER EXI'ERIEXGE that if they wished to keep their names on the leaf, if they wished to avoid invasion, pillage and other horrors, they had to train every male, physically ami mentally fit, to carry arms. The Briton alone, in his insular pride, had not adopted this system, and would, many great authorities said, suffer for his neglect. The matter of university' military training was of world importance, for it was to be believed that if every British male were a trained soldier, a world's peace would prevail and war would be no more. (British armies in the past had been able to settle the affairs of belligerent nations and bring them to peace, but could only do so now if they approximated to the strength of foreign'ones. Continental armies now were 3.1)00,000 and 4,000.000 strong; 'Britain's armv was less than 1,01)0,000. The idea that it was time enough to train men in the military art when war was declared was VICIOUSLY AXD CRUELLY FALLACIOUS.

War moved quickly now, and the nation that waited until it had to fight to train its soldiers was bound to go im>r. He knew full well that if war were declared every New Zealander would rush to arms, hut they would have no chance against a trained foe unless they were themselves already efficient soldiers. The benefits to the nation and to its commerce, apart from its protection from foreign invasion, were to be considered, and it was mainly from that point of view that he asked bis hearers to consider the question. Countries like Germany and''Switzerland were pre-eminent in commercial industries, and the large employers of labor there were thoroughly satisfied that military training so increased the mental and physical efficiency of the laborer that there was really no Io?.s in the end to the employers, and that there was a great gain to the nation. The men acquired habits of discipline and co-operation, and so became more efficient workers. The phvsique of the average Swiss before military training was inferior to that of the average Britisher, but after training wa? superior.

AUSTRALASIA'S EXAMPLE. He was proud of the fact that Xew Zealand, as the country of his adoption, was (with Australia) the first in the British Empire to adopt universal military train-, ing. It it succeeded, as there was no reason why it should not, the movement wouid spread to every part of the Empire, and so ensure the peace of the world. The people of New Zealand had emphatically declared in its favor, and we had in consequence the Defence Act of last session. Lord Kitchener had visited the country, and givcji us the greatest benefit of his advice. General Godley and his brilliant .staif had come to us to develop the scheme and put it into full force and effect. They were men in the front rank of their profession. It was difficult for him to speak of them, but he thought that it was not improper for him to say that no better men for the work could be found. He and other commanding officers had lately had the great honor and pleasure of meeting and being with Genera! Godley and his staff at Tauherenikuu, and had come away rejoicing that at last military matters were on thoroughly sound and up-to-date lines. The General had enthused them with his own great enthusiasm and filled them with his determination, zeal and industry. He hoped that the people of New Zealand' would lie able to see and hear the General for themselves, and then they would be irresistibly impelled I to give him the

HEARTY CO-OPERATION that he desired, and without which he (General Godley) knew that, it was most difficult to achieve succe-s, no matter otherwise how well deserved. If the General had that co-operation then success was certain. On his behalf he asked them to do everything in their power to help. So far it had been easy to support the movement. No individual sacrifice had been asked for. but that was coming. When the principle came he asked them to cheerfully bear the trouble and' remain .-tcadfa-l. to their lirst conviction and declaration. People objected to wh-it they called the compulsion of the military training, and declared that Unions had always been, and should always be, free, and that the liberty of the British subject was sacred. That'was A smiinoLETir. We had compulsory education, compulsory observance of innumerable obligations to one's neighbor, community and country. The compulsion in this case was merely the demand for the performance of a duty that, every man owed to his family and to his country. On it depended, litavUe. the very existence of the Dominion. ' The system had been inaugurated, and registration was now proceeding. Then would come enrolment of all those physically and mentally fit. By about -Inly next the training would commence. IV TAIiAVAKL by way of illustration, there was to be a hntalli'an of infantry ,-ome' l:i2D strong, with companies of 120 each at Patea, Hawera. Elthain. Stratford, high-wood, Waitara. aad two at New Plymouth. Lieut. Limpeii. as adjutant of the infantry, and Lieut. MeArdle. adjutant of the mounted rill'-, with tbe';r N.C.O.'s, were here, and in -Inly the training would comme.ice. Then'and >oon after would be when a demand for sacrifice on his hearers' part would be made. The men would lie called out and the much required and much to be desired discipline and physical training initiated. The training would be carried out. by night, drill, half-dav and whole-day held manoeuvres. To make those beneficial, enrol - •: must cheerfully submit to the in-

convenience of some of their young hands being called out, and show that their past talk of belief and promises of help in the movement had not been idle. They must determine, and lie asked Hum then and there, on behalf of Genera! Godley, to promise to cheerfully support the scheme, and it would not be long before the immense worth of the scheme would be demonstrated. Success could and would—nay, must—-be achieved. He ventured to prophesy that Xew Zealand would pass down to posterity as the small dominion that took the lead in one of the most epoch-making events ever initiated in the Empire. Lieut-Colonel Malone resumed his seat amidst loud and prolonged applause.