NATIONAL DEFENCE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXIX, Issue 7830, 24 June 1909, Page 4

NATIONAL DEFENCE.

MR McNAB'S MISSION.

Mr Robert McNab, who has just completed a self-imposed campaign m the interests of national military training m this country, told a Wellington Post reporter on Tuesday that he had first visited Auckland and worked south, speaking at twenty-five places between that city and, Invercargill. With the exception of the hostility shown at Wellingtons. Mr McNab did not encounter apposition of any magnitude. He is impressed with the good work done by the National jjefence League m the Auckland district,' and the fact that, speaking generally, the Auckland members of Parliament are supporting the scheme. The meetings held m the Maori war country between Wanganui and New Plymouth were particularly successful, the great majority of those who attended the meetings having taken part m the compulsory service system of the sixties. Mr McNab pointed out that m countries where compulsory training obtains the objections to it came principally from the cities. Reviewing the campaign from that point of view, he found things much the same m New Zealand, although, he did not believe the opposition attained any magnitude. For instance, the Socialists as a body were not opposed to the scheme—only certain sections of them were. Other's were members of the Defence League, and supported the Socialist literature of England, which is not hostile to universal training. As regards the workers of the cities as a body, lie found a number of thorn were opposed to the scheme, but none of them had attempted to reconcile their hostility with the support given to the scheme by their fellow-workers m Australia. All the Labour leaders of the Commonwealth supported a scheme for that country,, and that fact seemed to ask "for 'some explanation on the part of the Labour leaders of Australia, who were opposed to universal military training. In all places Mr McNab found that some manifestly absurd notions about the expense that would be curtailed m carrying out the scheme of training m this country were hold. Mr McNab was unable to visit twen-ty-eight towns where he had been invited to speak. If the question is not settled when he returns from his trip to the DM Land lie states that he would probably be able to accept 'the invitations which'he has had to reluctantly decline. So sanguine is Mr McNab that he declared he would not bo afraid if a plebiscite were taken on the question at the present ' time, The unanimous support accorded the movement by the press was a most gratifying feature.