THE QUESTION OF THE HOUR.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13410, 30 April 1909, Page 6

THE QUESTION OF THE HOUR.

The question of defence is one of those matters which, rightly regarded, is above party politics, and it was in this spirit that Mr James Allen, M.P., dealt with it in an address to his constituents on Wednesday night. His speech was on a broad and lofty plane —the most statesmanlike utterance on the subject that lias been delivered in New Zealand since recent events have made the question of defence the question of the hour. With what Mr Allen said about naval defence, instinct with true .patriotism as his remarks were, all must agree who do not subscribe to the pitiful policy of the Little Englander. We doubt, however, whether even those who think Imperially on this most Tital question realise what the loss of naval supremacy would mean to Great Britain and the Empire, nor how important it is that not only in Homo waters, but in the Pacific, the British Navy shall hold command of the sea. Wβ are in no danger from Japan, as long as that country stands by her treaty with Great Britain, but the protection it affords would be at an end to-morrow if Japan chose to break faith with her ally. In any case, the treaty will expire in a year or two, just when Germany attains the full measure of naval strength for which she is working, and there is no certainty that it will be renewed. An alliance between. Japan and Germany seems at present unlikely, but stranger things have happened, and if such a contingency took place the position of these colonies would be precarious in the extreme. If the .wopcsed Imperial Naval Conference is held next year, as we trust will be the case, one of the most im,portant matters that it. must deal with is the relationship between Great Britain and the overseas Empire as regards naval defence. Mr Allen suggested eeveral alternative methods by which the colonies could aesist the Old Country to keep her naval supremacy—" Either "by adequate subsidies " individually to the British fleet, or by, " each portion of the British Empire in " the Pacific joining hands for the construction of a common fleet, or by " each portion doing its own share in "some common plan, or by a combina'•'tion of the adequate subsidy with one "or other of the other suggestions." It w,ould' be the business of the Naval Conference to decide upon the best plan to adopt. Opinions may differ as to' the wisdom of the Australian Government in deciding to build a local fleet of destroyers andi submarines-, but it must at least Be admitted that the proposal involves considerable sacrifice. And yet, as Mr Allen pointed out, " sacrifice of money may not be the " real sacrifice* we should make." Emphatically it is not. We in New Zealand mighjk double or treble our naval subsidy, besides giving a Dreadnought, and' we should not even then have done ell that we shotild* —all that we , must— for our defence. The British General Staff, dealing with this question of colonial defence, has laid it down as a fundamental principle that each selfgoverning unit must provide, as far as possible, for its own local seourity. What have we done in that respect? Wo have practically depended l on the volunteer system, of which Mr Allen— speaking as a volunteer officer of twen-. ty years' experience, end as one who has perhaps given more attention to the question of defencetlmn any other member of Parliament in his time — says:—-"I am now forced to the opini; ion that the whole thing is on wrong " lives, and , a great waste of money." The volunteers, he admit?, are more efficient individually than of old, but there are far too few of them, and; tho attendance at camps is deplorably small. Like many other people, Mr Allen is no believer in Sir Joseph Ward's latest proposals of a non-com-pulsory system, of training, which would leave the defence of the Dominion i largely in the hands of cadets, young raenup to 21, and rifle clubs. It is right, so far as it goes, but if New Zealand is ever to possess an adequate defence force there must be a system of -universal training, by which the manhood of the country, after undergoing training until the age of 21, would be called out annually for a certain amount of discipline and drill. If this were done, the sound of war and the threat of

invasion would call the -whole nation to arms, ant? we should hare little fear of tho result. We hare dallied with this most eerious question far too long. Let us now try to redeem the wasted opportunities of the past and, relying still on the Motherland! to hold the eeas. with such aid as we may bo able to gire, resolve , to fit ourselves for that elementary duty, the defence of our own homes.