THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. MONDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1906.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8307, 10 December 1906, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. MONDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1906.

During the past 35 years the policy of the Home Government has been to require all self-governing Colonies to provide for their own looal defence, Imperial troops only being stationed in Colonial territory when their presence was required by strategical objects other than those of looai conoern. la Canada ap to the present year, when they were replaced by Colonial troops, Imperial garrisons were stationed at the fortified harbours to Halifax on the Atlantiu, and at Esquimault on the Pacific ooast. Till recently, Halifax has always been regarded as an important Imperial naval base, large sums of money having been expended from time to time to bring its fortifications and armament up-to date. Since the redistribution of the Navy under Sir John Piaher's regime the North Anierioan Squadron has been reduced in strength, and Halifax has in consequence lost much of its former importanoe, but it still remains the most powerful maritime fortress on the American continent. Esquimault is an easily defended natural harbour situated un Vancouver Island about two miles west of Port Viotoria. When the Caoa-. dian Paoiflc Railway reached tlie ooast in 1885, Esquimault was selected as a naval base, batteries' being constructed and barracks built to accommodate the garrison of regular troops. The arrangement tuadrt at the time was that the Dominion Government should construct the batteries and the Home Government provide the barracks and armament, while the expense of maintaining the garrison was to b9 shared equally by the two Governments. In 1902 the Dominion Government offered, through Canada's representatives at the "Colonial Conference, which was held that year in London, to provide the garrisons of Halifax and Esquimault as a Canadian contribution to the defence of the Empire. While accepting the offer in principle, the Home Government at Aral proposed

that the garrisons should temporarily remain composed of Imperial troops, Canada agreeing to pay a lump sum of £200,000 a year for their mahitenanoe; but Sir Wilfrid Laurier'fl Government objeoted on constitutional grounds to incurring expenditure over wbioh they bad no control, and the original proposal was eventually approved and carried into effeufc during the course of this year. With the exception of a few officers, who have been lent for duty to the Canadian Government for a period of two t years, the whole of tbe Imperial troops have been withdrawn, and the looni military authorities have now assumed full responsibility for the defence of the two fortified naval bases. Tbe original raison d'etre of toe fortifications of Esquimault was the naval pretensions of Russia in the Pacific. With the destruction of the Russian fleei the primary purpose of the fortifications reappears. Tbe Admiralty have already abandoned Esqwmault as a naval base, and have sold or removed all the dockyard plant and stores. Owing to this aotiou of the Admiralty, suggestions have been made to dismantle the fortifications, sufficient armament only being retained for purposes of in struotion of the Canadian Artillery and Engineers. The majority of Canadians, however, looking ahead, and taking note of the alarming growth of the navy of the United States, disagree with the Admiralty policy, which is criticised as being based on opportunist rather than Imperial considerations. There is peaoe between Canada and America, but no lore between Canadians aud Americans. Their interests are antagonistic, not co-operative. In the irapendiug struggle fcr commercial supremacy in the Paoific circumstances may arise which can only bo controlled by a preponderance of naval strength on the side of Great Britain. The armed foroo of Canada consists of a permanent toroe which, under the Canadian Militia Aot, may be raised to five thousand but which at present only numbers some two thousand, and an Active Militia of about thirty-eight thousand officers and men. The permanent force always remains under arms; the Active Militia are only called out for sixteen days' training in the year. The Canadian Pacific Railway has the strategical defeot of running for nearly its whole length close to the international frontier. To nrovide for the effective defenae of this line ct railway, three thousand six hundred miles long, would, under existing conditions, be an impossible tusk. As matters now stand, in the event of hostilities with the United States the Hue could be raided with impunity at almost any point of ilu course West of Winnipeg. The duplication of oommuni cations by means of the Grand Trunk Railway will improve a situation which for the time being is entirely at the mercy of the United States; but even this line will not be safe from attaok unless steps are taken, as»the population increases and resources become developed, to insure its security by precautionary military measures. While the people of' Canada aru not wanting iu individual military upirit—there are 426 rifle associations and 146 cadet oorps iu the country—they have little collective booso of duty in regard to tbe necessities of defende. This apathetic condition of publio opinion is owing to the knowledge that there has been no threat or attack siiiuo the last war with America in 1812-14. Patriotic Cauadlaos rightly resent tbe ideu of absorption, but they must not negloot to provide against coercion, a country with great aspirations ought not to r«main dependent on the goodwill of a powerful neighbour. No statesman more loyal to the Empire has ever ruled Canada than Sir Wilfrid Laurier. who proclaims bis wish, whenever, ho speaks, to be the Minister of peace, not of war. Laudable as ia thia ambition, be would do well sometimes to reraiud his countryman'that the first duty of eoery self-respeutiug citizen is to defend his hearth aud home, by plaoing his personal services at the disposal of the State.