NATIONAL DEFENCE.

Press, Issue LXVIII, 31 December 1912, Page 3

NATIONAL DEFENCE.

TO TU?. EDITOR OF "THE I*RE3S.'

Sir, —Talking to men of all grades lately on the subject of passive resistr.nco *.o Military Training. 1 find that ihero is a general concensus of opinion that both yon and your contemporaries r.re largely to blame for tho whole trouble, in ;bao you published so much ••crrespondent on tho mutter. You would have t>eot quite withiu your rights 111 refusing tn publish letters that were certainly treasonable, in that they were meant to incite people to cisobey the law and act in a manner

s-.t.'culated to bring contempt on tho King's- uniform. And that is tho plain English, of it. I dare swear your disloyal correspondents under different name=; AIXI \ numbered only two or three. A great- deal of needless trouble has !k>cu caused both here and in Great Britain. —Yours, etc.. A.i'.H.

to Tiir: EPiTon ok "the press."

Sir, —Tho present position of is perilous. ;in<l, it *om« expression ot upinion is not forthcoming ere it is too late, we frhall lie .the unhappy witivwsew oi the humiliation of our sentative (lovprnincnt unci the domination c.i the Military Party over our Democratic institutions.

You, Sir, express s.u prise at the oppo.Mlior of some Liberal journals at tnc ex'raordiH.irv procedure in connection with the Hon. .Lis. Allen's visit to Kngland, hut the electors havo far too vivid a reeolleeiiou of the Dreadnought business not to entertain alarm concerning tho secrecy- ot tho mission. It is all very well to ask us to trust a Minister of the Crown, but. vhen once tho country nas been coir."mittod to a policy, Parliament will un;l oih.ieuiy ratify it, and we shall have to pay iho piper for a tune we never -.'fectc.l. Mr Allen should know that lie has not got tho country l>ehind him m tho question of naval and military expenditure, and that we shall resent tny infringement of our privileges of ;ritiei-.in ot the Government policy. 1 had always thought that party Government acted as a brake upon tho wheels of extravagance, and that criticism was good enough in other questions of national concern, why not in the matter of "Defence?" The ratepayers have to find the money and tho li.eu. and suite.- all tho brunt, and surely they .should, .in all fairness, know to what extent they are to bo tailed upon. You quote from tho Auckland "Star" as to the impossbility of being able to indicate the form of tho scheme of Defence until the Imperial authorities have been consulted. How, then, can M" Allen and tho Premier say that l: ■ know the country's mind? If tiiii is really tho case, it is all the mora reason for a complete and unqualified statement to the electors before anything is arranged. 1 fear that it will be another instance of this Dominion being ruled from Westminster in its Defence policy. Put I would remind you that Mr Massey said that tho Defence Minister would "bo able to mako an jirraii<rement which will be ratified by Parliament, and which will bo of Lenefit, not only to New Zealand, but to tho Empire." This arrangement will includo tho preparation of an expeditionary force and goodness knows what! —Yours, etc., S. A. JACKSON.

TO THE EDITOR OF "THE PRESS."

Sir, —The report of the Hon. J. Allen's speech in Friday's "Press" contains an interesting reference to our defence forces which requires some explanation. Mr Allen is reported thus: s "They could not tell when the moment would come when Great Britain might say to New Zealand: 'We want your men, armed, equipped , ready to bo drafted into the greater organisation whenever it may be called upon to go.' Ho hoped that not many months would go by before that organisation was complete under which they would be able toi send away,;if possible, -as perfect a) trained force as it was possible to equip." Like most of your readers, I am loyal to the King, I have served six years in tho Volunteer force with credit. I havo supported the compulsory training system, and in addition, 1 have no time for the Clock Tower assinine exponents of sedition; but I havo always understood that our Territora\ force was intended solely for service in New Zealand in the event of invasion, and have believed that volunteers would bo called for in the event of men being required for oversea service. Mr Aliens remarks lead mo to think that 1, have formed a wrong impression. If our citizen Territorials are liable to be ordered oversea whenever Britain indulges in a foreign war, about the rightootuiness of otherwiso ot which Now Zealand has not been suited, then it seems to mc that 1 must oppose tho compulsory training system of New Zealand. Can you shed some light on this matter ?—Yours EXPEDITIONARY FORCE.

fSomo notes on these letters will be found in our leading columns. — Ed. "The Press."]