CORRESPONDENCE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3152, 1 April 1909, Page 5

CORRESPONDENCE.

(To the Editor). Sir,—As might be expected the preseDt state of oar Navy is, in many circles, the main topic of. conversa* tion. As a regular subscriber to the Age, I am well pleased with your views thereon. I have no patience with "Little Englanders calling Peace! Peace!" when there's no Peace. Fancy Keir Hardie, with a few more of that ilk, going to Germany, and saying to them: "Yorc and We have no quarrels." Has the milennium arrived? It is a well/known fact that Germany is only biding her time till she gets fully prepared. At present she has one of the most formidable—if not the most formidable —armies in the world. Asr for her Navy, she is evidently strailing every nerve to make it as efficient as possible. When #iey reach that goal then Britain may look out for squalls. Consider what small capacity for storage of coal there is in all her . Dreadnoughts, clearly showing they are for service, only near Home, then we can all guess where the first pro* posed victim is to be found. lam lully of the same opinion as that German Professor from whom ; yda quote in to-day's issue of the Age, We all know how fast the populatifr ? (not foreign undesirables like ia England) Germany is increasing. She is already too fully populateay ' thus causing many thousands of her best subjects to emigrate annually,, and naturally those left a Home don" like losing the run of their countrymen by having them absorbed in foreign nations. Then what can she do? but acquire oversea Dominions,, and thus spread the mailed fist* backed by thousands pf Germans as much of the civilised world as she may want pro tern. When that time arrives I am much afraid 'that God's Own Country will be her first acquisition. Consider for a moment how easy it would be for Germany to force acausus belli against Britain, and once botn navies are engaged in. mortal combat, I am much afraid that she would at once transform her steamers (which we know are of Leviathan size, and greyhound speeoV into transports for conveying thousands of her army to invade this country (we could expect no help from Home), and what couldwe do to stop them ? Our Navy would have quite enough to do at Home. Even if the latter should come out on top, Germany has all her frontiers too well fortified to suffer much from our navy. Then consider the numerical strength of her army behind them. Fancy, how we New Zealamfers would feel when opposed to highly trained forces. \I-fear this country, as well as Australia/would simply be a walk-over for our visitors from the Fatherland. It is awful t6 contemplate, but I am mac afraid that in very few years (per*« ; v . haps 1912) we will have to go under the German yoke, and whether we like it or not, can only grin, and bear it, as best we can. Though I have harped in this strain don't reckon me a pessimist. For what I have already written is only too probable to come to pass, and goodness only know s how soon the dreaded time may arrive. I cannot understand why our Government don't at once have universal training in arms; surely it would be a great benefit to our young men of, say, from 18 to 25 years of age. Personally, lam now too old for that game, but in my young days I had three years' training in the Volunteers, and with many of my neighbours, not only enjoyed but benefited by the course of training. At first sight the business part of the programme may seem, too .difficult to be overcome, but rest assured that where there is a will therms a way* When such a de-i sired course has been installed, how calmly and comfortably we could sleep in our beds, knowing full well that we had a sturdy force to defend our homes against all German aspirations. How I wish some one more able with the pen than I am would take up this subject, and try to rouse my countrymen from their present apathy, for I am much afraid we have our arms no more trimmed than had the foolish Virgins of old, oil for their lamps, and so will be "a unprepared for the day of reckoning as they were. Thanking you In anticipation for your valuable space. —I am, etc., SCOTTY. Pahiatua, March 30th, 1909.