MILITARY SECRETS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 235, 27 June 1908, Page 15

MILITARY SECRETS.

, JAPANESE AS OFFICERS'-SERVANTS. . THE : LEAKAGE OF ' INFORMATION.' ' ; In tho Federal •„ House of. Representatives recently Sir. AY. H. Irvine said'it had been brought, to his .-knowledge that>instructions had been issued by, tho Minister for Defence to officers of forces requiring each officer to answer a question whether'there was ,in his employ,-any .'Japanese:Did tho Minister, he asked, consider- it part :of his duty to in-, stitute: inquisitorial. inquiries: in tho tdomes- . tic establishments' of.officers;- ?; i. . .... Th°.•■Minister"for I '■ Defence,. Mr. Evring, in .' reply, said v ;thol matter.: had;!been ' spoken', of: , ■ somo time ago, and inquiries were, first rnado : • from Commandants. .When! the .answer.was thatno officer was employing any alien somo . doubt was expressed; by. members of. Parliament, and instructions''•■•werethen issued to .find oiit i deariitely . tlio views; held : by those- members 'could bo set at rest. . Sir John Forrest: Was it about servants in. posts or otherwise? Mr. Shving: My question was simply about . tho employment of aliens.. I think that any officer paid by Australians might even in hisown-homo find servants from among his own jieonlo, (Lqiid cheers.) . " Mr.' Iielly: If it is for tlio purposo of pro/tecting the secrets of the Empire that this is: done," will'tho Minister consider the advisability of bringing iii : a Bill to prevent officers .v. having, .any' l , employees, . black, white, or broTini,; whero'.there is a possibility of accoss ■•. to '.military secrets ? -''.-XLanglitef . ■ i Mr'. Ewing:.! think there has- been altogether too muoh publicity..'witlr regard to the . Government's; operations.-.Everybody knows ... .all about everything.; Various statements were made shortly .after tho time wo took office, and.-I .found-that unfortunately; thero ■ was only too'much truth in them, in. regard v to outsido knowlcdgo of our forts. No matter ■ .what happens in.regard to tho defenco forces,' and;no matter-how, trifling it is, it seems to. ■ become'. public almost , immediately.' - • • Mr. Batchelor: That's a very serious stato of affairs. • "• Mr. Ewing: I havo been, at times aston-ished-at tho definiteness of the information., I made every effort'to findout how tho leakage took place. Every section seems to participate. I found, however, that tho man ; who was mean enough to give it was' mean enough to deny it. If I ever catch him, there won't bo any need for a Royal Commission on him. Mr. O'Malley: No white man on earth can enter a fort in Japan. '.-•, _ Mr. AV. H; Irvino: Officers might bo asked if ithey have a French cook or a German governess if this is carried on. Mr. Ewing :V Officers 'are' responsible' for . tho defence of their country, and, I think, might find among their , own people—— The remainder of the remark was lost in the vociferous cheering of Mr. Maugor.

But for that sentimentality nnd kid-glovo policy which has overtaken Britishers, there might bo a wholesome law in operation which would find some hotter occupation for tho black man than living on the industry of-the women of- tlie tribo and loafing about tho kraals.—" Guardian," Lourenco Marques, South Africa. ■'