MILITARY TRAINING.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 38, 21 March 1914, Page 7

MILITARY TRAINING.

.- A NOVEL .MEASURE. .Cm REJECTED feY THE LORDS. ;|j By Cable. —Press Association.—Copyright. March 20. 1 Lord Willoughby de Bloke's Military tjj Training Bill was rejected -by 134 votes to' 53. • ' <\m "Times'\ and "Sydney Sun" Services. " LONDON, March 20. /I Lord Roberts opposed Lord Willoughby de Broke's Bill to establish a - compulsory military force among the wealthy classes, to be called His jS Majesty's Imperial-Force. - He said he Jl was anxious to see defence put on a Jl satisfactory basis, but the Bill wajjjjiot -31 a practical method .of attaining that. It" M would accentuate the division between. the different classes, and render the J| workers suspicious that an attempt, was : M being made by the wealthy people to get ' l| full possession of military power. Hei had been urging the duty of defence was incumbent ohl || every man irrespective of his rank position, and, secondly that the army should be thoroughly democraticThe Bill cut the roots of these prin- -Jg| ciples, by drawing invidious distinc~' j|j tions. ;* [ln the House of Lords, on February--12, Lord Willoughby de Broke introduced a Bill to create an Imperial force? to supplement the Territorials by niak* ing the youth of the middle and classes comp\Qsorily liable to ninemonths' military training before the age-' >|§ of 21, and afterwards to a fortnight % camp annually. Public school boys, un- .-||| dergraduates, a,nd persons with incomes; - of £4OO and over are among those Uabl&~\*>|§ Youths physically defective are to* i extra- income tax. Lord Willoughby. Broke said it was the duty/q£tke classes to furnish an example to thecL3§ masses, but Lord Haldane described measure as unworkable.} ~

. - - 'I tATE NEWS, BOTH FOREIGN IftD LOCAL, AND LATE SPORTING WILL BE FOUND ON PAGE 10 OF THIS ISSUE.