EMPIRE PROBLEMS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10700, 22 August 1912, Page 4

EMPIRE PROBLEMS.

Major Stewart L. Murray has put forward all the arguments that lie can muster in f:vour of compulsory, military service for the United Kingdom in an article entitled "Some Strategic Problems of the Empire'' in the "Nineteenth Century and After." The writer enumerates as the chief strategic problems of the Empire the Ru's-so-indian problem, the Turko-Egyp-:iati and Middle East the I mastery of the P-acific, problem,' and [ the French Alliance, or Balance of | IWer problem. Hero is a summary lof the main argument. Since Russia placed ' 500,000 troops in Manchuria .maintained them there, she could place an equal number, at least, on the Indian frontier, seeing that she lias two lines of railway to use, instead of one line -as in the of Manchuria. Rut with the existing organisation England could not place more than 20fl,GC0 Britioli troops on the Indian frontier and these only by denuding England and colonial stationy of troops. How. are the necessary balance of- 300,000 troops to be provided ? The contributor argues for the retention of the regular army, eompulmry military training at all schools,-- as in Japan, and legal liability to national service in the Territorial force. The United Kingdom could provide in ten years' time , on this basis a properly-trained Territorial army of 600,000 men, with a reserve of 900,000, and the Dominions could furnish a quota of 200,000 men. with a reserve' of. 300,000. The writer argues that with a .nations! army of this size strategic freedom to act in the* Pacific would be restored to the navy—a conclusion, by the way, that is scouted by navnl writers. Major Murray predicts defeat and an indemnity'of at least- £800,000,000, as the fate of the United Kingdom unless a great effort ig made now. He advocates an> 'lmperial defence loan to prepare for victory, instead of", a loan later on for payment of a war indemnity. Major Murray sents the extreme military view, which is bitterly opposed, by all those who believe that money spent on the army is taken from the navy, the supremacy- of which is a vital interest.