DEFENCE OF THE DOMINION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 3027, 26 October 1908, Page 5

DEFENCE OF THE DOMINION.

SPEECH BY THE PREMIER. THE VOLUNTEER SYSTEM. NECESSITY FOR IMPROVEMENT. By Telegraph—Press Association. INVERCARGILL, October 25. The Prime Minister delivered an address at The Bluff on Saturday night, much on the lines of those given in the North. On the subject of internal defence, he amplified somewhat his previous remarks. He had been asked, he said, whether he was favourable to bringing out the militia for three weeks' drill every year. Ph the first place he was not in favour of an organised militia in New, Zealand, but he realised the importance of a good system of internal defence in New Zealand, and was impressed with the necessity of improving the system to assure that every man capable of taking up arms should be a good shot, and trained in the use of arms. "We have to look, first to the training of the younger generation to bring that about," said Sir Joseph. "It was x nonsense to talk about improving the Volunteer Force by making it more attractive until it should be strong enough to repel attack from any army landed on our shores. It would be next door to impossible for any nation to land an army in New Zealand, and if we had to make provision for defence against armies we should require to have not only every man, but every woman, in ths country, trained to take up a musket. The most experienced military men were all of one opinion that in New Zealand and Australia we had not to make provision for the possibilty of invasion by a foreign,, army, but only for minor attacks by way of raids, and a raid was as different from invasion by an army as daylight was from dark. Protection against such raids we ought to secure, and in order to do that we must have a sufficient number of men from all | walks Vf life trained to take up arms and prevent a successful attempt by a couple of foreign ships of war which might land detachments to put up flags, destroy a town, or take away bullion or specie. It must be remembered that we were not in the position of Switzerland, Germany, France, Italy, or China* surrounded on all sides by nations likely at any time to become enemies. We were divided from our enemies by thousands of miles of sea, and we had no need to fear attempts from armies, and any system framed with an idea of fighting such armies was the most impossible in the world. If we did need such an elaborate system of defence as say Canada, it would he a very bad thing for the country If its manhood were compelled to serve as militia. It would mean interference with the industrial life of the community, and an enormous reduction' in the earning power of the community. The people of the country did not intend that any such system should be introduced. On the other hand we belonged to a nation that had a stronger fleet than any other two nations in the world, and our whole being rested on the preservation and safety of the track across the ocean for ships that carry our cargoes. That spelt safety, freedom and progress for this country." The Premier admitted that the Volunteer system was not so good as it might be, and he hoped to have it improved by the extension of the school cadet system. He would like to see established a system of senior cadet corps intermediate between the school cadets and adult volunteers, and also to see the age limit for joining volunteers reduced. "We could then be reasonably sure that our young men would not grow up unskilled in the use of the rifle and in field work." He said 25 per cent, would drop out of the ranks every year, and practically become reserves If we had a voluntary system of that kind we should have a nucleus of a force strong enough to prevent a raid being successful, and probably ako to help the Old Land if the need arose.