THE DEFENCE OF THE COLONY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVII, Issue 116, 16 May 1906, Page 3

THE DEFENCE OF THE COLONY.

(BJ . BcW. S. M.D.r

• t mentioned last week, on The StO 3i£n of New Zealand, was the Genaf years ago I Sitt« about for the Ly t_ ielton ; print ea and published in M i ts 'S I nk the olde9t (&s^? h 'Jonj. I sent my tale to P*!* view to publication, the editOJrWth £M iefcor of the fta* ti" , tote Mr. W. "» present High Beeves (Wjer fl on]y , buy lt on CoaßDisa°»' Bi should not .be pu bcon difaon tbaj i vht it TCOU i d be so J ishcd, rt«t he Offered mc a very fair &>&**£ «s he said. «to lock it up samin o l ?*,' x re f U sed, and the ie ti* ie ' been published. When ti \e has ne? d nineteen years j-ftßtcuw » r^ding of it, which was pe i U trS a shilling each), of whom BudlCD liturtecn were Germans! As 1W trident that there was no pos--81 fit the matter rest, that time to this there have . B Suml article 3 in the Reviews ¥c ■ ,In'a rerv timid, cautious way phowii'o vi _ im nlv in timo of ■vvar was H!:; C ; Sin the minds of some TffSβ «» o£ Enslan + d) - bufc t S* appeawa nearly so outspoxen B °£ arSl in Bhckwood of February, SfftS V WA I quoted last week. i JS hardly say that since I wrote JSein 1880 or 1881 the question has "U enormously in importance. Ihe SulaHon has greatly increased, aid U mantitr of food imported has mrLed in at least equal P ro P ortlon - S part of the population employed ; n asaculture has diminished. Out of Zj* 40000,000 of persons in 1901 only £109812 were cn S a S ed in a S ricillture - The total amounts paid for agricultural produce imported during the year MO4 into the United Kingdom were as JoDoW (flazell's Annual, 1906):— ctfle(LWe). Heef, mutton, etc...£86,339,881 SSr*U mitt, etc 3i,069,00« h? (sr .::::::-:::::::: , ™So OTonr,. ••• 7«n 7"-i7 £117,662,541 W,!"'» OM Wheat ~3 , ei4.666 «£s" andonioßS ._ 3,5«4,44S £144,841,650

■flijj is without counting sugar, notes, or fruit, coffee, tea, cocoa, or TO£3 and spirits. Now this enormous m las to be provided for hi due course of tradft. Bat if trade is dislocated, and millions thrown out of work, There is ft to come from even at peace prices? The total imports of foodstuffs into the United Kingdom in 1904 amounted to £231,401000, and of other imports (raw materials and manufactured articles) £319,637.000, making a total of £551,039,000. Roughly speakig, we may say that the United Kingdom imports between five and six jorf worth of foodstuffs for every ■inkKiint.-

If I seen to be urging this point too jBDcS, it is because I want to impress apou my- leaders that we can eswd Bo.hdp in. time of war from a ceun.Lγ to situated—we must defend ourislves or yield to the invader.

Sow, Mr. Edward Dicey, C.8., a very kiln,, dear-headed ■writer, well known is & man taking a statesmanlike view of public affairs, writes thus in an article in the " Empire Review" for Octolwr, 1904 At that time the entente cordiale between France and England lad sot been established on tbe firm ioo&g it now stands on., and Mr. Dicey issnmes that France is our enc-my. "Now if this imaginary -war -were to 5» waged under present conditions, the ■mak lint in England's chain of defence *oold be the difficulty of obtaining supflies of food from abroacL We are constantly assured by friendly as well as ■V hostile critics that . . . England noes not possess, and cannot produce, a ■wan* quantity of breadstuff's to feed Mr popnlatioa for more tha,n a few * c *- The major portion of our food EiPPlj comes from the American ContiSti»f I s ° bTious u P on this hypothecs ttrt if .the importation of breadm» into onr ports could be stopped Lμ , com P arati ™ly brief period, we JjH Iβ compelled, whatever our sncge on land or sea might be r to make je.on any terms France might im- "" Pe ° Ple *» To tie argument that breadstuffs by *£$■*%** are not contraband «BUf* SS* , re P Kes that ™ the «E2 by our enemies ' 1 %ea X^™, 1 P ° Wer would actually *» oS SS traffiC fo °^ SS*e£t V° f Nati ° ns "° Uld %inSf S v He ar S ues tha -t there ftin" tilf V , he ™derstood sometokSV" 1 enforcc( i by direct is^2a^ S0 ? alled law of nations of *h I 1 ° f court «y, the breach a ?K enOUS de S ree ould Power re P ut ation of a dVflised ° f a war between a tW ?W. a °d England, decW n c Uat that tlle enemy ? e health of SS T he Klea tliafc wi th :n ,d fOod L a n always J ? e Elusion w f eßt quantity is" a 4n L C sin Se of Paris GermL c ? ans WBS invested tl The iuha bitants of 1 " cattle and sheep tv in the Bois d^ ?' I,c P arks -- tlle n all ; then 4», equi . red for militarr 2,^ r »t? 'S f L Jstl - v ' d °g £ ' cats, ?*--9f i, r i hey could not get Th « mortality th( >or2L lood 7 as about three !i Ortalit y of the city. tS^^Salf°F er fo °d-<*ting S^S^wSr!

These are disagreeable things to but it is necessary to \vafce up the New Zealand publio-frdin the opiate dream of false security into.which it hits fallen. It is useless to aide the facts; if we haTe any vestige of the spirit'of our forefathers we shall face them like, men,' and prepare to defend the country of our birth or adoption. . ... : ■.''>' The Defence Department of this colony is the worst managed of all. Even if Mr Seddon were to devote all his tim? to it, he could not manage it properly; because he has no knowledge of military affairs—he has not even served -as - a volunteer—and he knows nothing of history. Our Permanent Artillery is too utterly insignificant in numbers to be of the smallest use. Our- -Volunteer force requires to be increased greatly in numbers, improved in discipline, and organised on the basis of compulsory service. We have already a Militia Act; it should be put in force, and -out of it a first line of able-bodied healthy- young men selected, thoroughly drilled for a short period of service, and then compelled to keep up their drill. The officers should be carefully selected, trained, and' educated by frequent field days and brigade drill. We have/now a number of officers who have had some experience of actual warfare. These and others belonging to the contingents who have seen active service should form the officers of the new Tegiments that must be formed. New Zealand can never be conquered by any European force that could be sent here if .her men are animated by true patriotism, and are resolved to give their lives for ,the fre.edom and independence of their country. Arihur-streetj Onehungij May 14, 1906.