BRITISH DEFENCE

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 285, 24 April 1913, Page 5

BRITISH DEFENCE

* THE ARMY .ANNUAL 'BILL.

By Cable-r-Press Association—Copyright. London, April 22. The discussion on the Army .Annual Bill in the House of Lords is attracting considerable attention, especially Lord Haldane's remark that the Dominions ma y yet do more than defend themselves, also the suggestion that both political parties might take counsel together, which was pressed by Lord Curzon.

. The Pall Mall Gazette supports the latter proposal. The Westminster Gazette states that if the Territorials fall below strength the Government will not adopt compulsion, but will increase the second line of naval defence or retain the professional army till the sea frontiers are secure. The Daily Mail declares that last year's manoeuvres showed that the fleet representing Germany was able to land 28,000 men on the Yorkshire coast.

SIR WILLIAM HALL-JONES INTER-

VIEWED.

Fremantle, April 23,

Sir William Hall-Jones, interviewed, said it was good news to hear that Australia would lay down another Dreadnought. With New Zealand and Australia doing their share in Imperial defence, Canada and .South Africa coming into line, and the possibility of India doing her share, if Britain adopted some system of universal training the Empire would be practically inviolable. "We should thus," said Sir William, "prove ourselves irresistible in attack and invulnerable in defence."

Sir William Hall-Jones was emphatic that compulsory training in Britain must come. The only question was whether the country Would wait till trouble came or insist on having it before it was too late.