"DEFENCE" ON DEFENCE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9049, 26 March 1908, Page 4

"DEFENCE" ON DEFENCE.

"Defence," the organ of the National League of New Zealand, is ! patriotically and unboundedly enthusiastic—but it is somewhat funny. We can appreciate its enthusiasm while we 3mile at its humour. There is an old sayiig—"There's nothing like leather!" Naturally the cobbler is the man who gives utterance to this dictum. "Defence," of course, quite as naturally concludes that there's nothing like—defence. In an editorial article upon "New Zealand's Future," published in the latest number of that paper,, it declares that "New Zealand's future depends altogether upon the energy with which we provide guns and rifles, and learn how to shoot them." This hi a somewhat exaggerated and morbid prophesy, buc it has for its basis the possibility of the yellow races invading our shores, and the condition we shall be in if we don't learn to shoot. "We happen to have New Zealand now," gloomily exclaims "Defence," "but who will have it to-morrow?" We are told with greater truth than necessity that if some other nation takes this dominion "New Zealand itself won't care"; New Zealand, in the sense used, meaning the territory, not the people; and in order to brace us up to this sombre fact the people are told to "chew the cud of that!" The article proceeds with Jeremiah-like dolefulness, leavened with a vein of unconscious humour that would have shocked that prophet —"And here we sit, we New Zealanders, in the heart of the rising storm, in the centre of the wartheatre, in the middle of the Pacific, into which we are intruders, and from which the old inhabitants are passionately preparing to oust us; here we sit as comfortably as though the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand." Really our contemporary in its zeal takes too pessimistic a view of the position. As a matter of fact the necessity for training for defence purposes is becoming more and more appreciated with the passing years. A good deal has already been done to equip the grown and growing generations for any possible struggle, and our defence authorities are offering greater facilities than ever for the acquisition of military knowledge, and the art of shooting straight. Volunteering is being encouraged, though perhaps not to the extent it should be, and rifle clubs have already shown prowess at the ranges equal to that of any of their contemporaries in the Empire. Training encampments are provided for, and are well attended, and, best of all, our schoolboys are being systematically drilled, and taught to handle the rifle. At present it cannot be expected that every male adult should be a first-class shot or a trained soldier; but the time is coming when a large proportion of our y>ung men will have learnt sufficient of the arts of war to form a fairly effective force in the repulsion of any attempted invasion of our dominion; and they would be ably supported by the courage and intrepidity of all able-bodied men in the country should occasion necessitate their assistance. That would be the time when real patriotism would be manifested, and when heroic deeds would signalise the defence of hearth and home. Our first line of defence, however, for many years, must be the British navy. Meanwhile we agree with our contemporary, "Defence," that !we should not slacken in our efforts to prepare for contingencies which all will hope may never arise.