EMPIRE'S DEFENCES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 447, 4 March 1909, Page 5

EMPIRE'S DEFENCES.

TERRITORIAL FORCE. ALLECED VEILED CONSCRIPTION. EMPLOYEES DISCRIMINATE. (OY TELEGICAPH —MESS ASSOCIATION COrYHIOnI'.J (Rec. Marcli 3, 9.50 p.m.) London, March 3. Tho Allianco Assuranco Company has announced that any now clork entering its sorvice will be obliged to join tho Territorial Force before securing an engagement in tho company's employ. In reply to questions asked in tho Houso of Commons by Radical members, tho Secretary for War, Mr. Haldano, said ho heartily approved the Allianco Company's action. On behalf of tho Labour party, Mr. F. W. Jowott (Labour member for West Bradford) gave notice of a motion condemning Mr. Haldano on tho ground that the company's action is a cpecious form of conscription.

SCHEMES FOR A CREAT ARMY. EMPIRE ORGANISATION. (Reo. March 3, 9.50 p.m.) London, March 3. Mr. Haldane, speaking at Newcastle, foreshadowed tho creation of an army comparablo in size with thoso of tho great militaryPowers. His General Staff reforms would raeroly give effect to tho resolutions of tho Imperial Conference, and would givo a proper organisation to the existing citizen corps of the Empire.

CENERAL STAFF. AUSTRALIA AND LOCAL CONTROL. Melbourne, March 3. Tho Federal Cabinet discussed the Imperial General Staff scheme formulated by the British Minister for War, Mr. Haldano. While tho general idea was adopted, it was decided to mako .Australia's ■ participation subordinate to complete local control. Mr. Fisher, Primo Minister,''stated that the Government favoured every kind of interchange of officers, but wanted to safeguard itself against any Imperial .control of tho Commonwealth Government as regards Australia's own officers.

MR. REID RIDICULES A LOCAL NAVY. HIS OWN PLANS. (Rec. March 4, 0.48 a.m.) Sydney, March 3. Mr. G. H. Reid, speaking on tho question of defence, ridiculed tho proposal for an Australian navy,'and declared that there was no necessity for compulsory military training. His policy for the next ten years would bo to make tho forts, garrisons, and officers efficient. ,He would rather spend £80,000 on a military college than on a torpedo-des-troyer. He would have a zealous cadet movement, and a universal system of school drill, and the establishment of factories for the manufacture of small arms and ammunition.

[That the British War Office is alive to the necessity of respecting the rights of local control in the Dominions is shown by the following passage. ;in the War Office's memorandum on the Imperial General Staff:—"A possible difficulty is the establishment of the proper relationship between the chief of the Imperial General Staff and the chiefs of the local section. . The suggested solution is that while the local chiefs would keep in, close communication with the chief of the Imperial General Staff they could not receive orders from him. He would advise them of the correct general principles; they would advise their Governments of the best means of carrying these.out and of the risk of departing from them; but when their advice was not accepted they would carry out whatever their Governments ordered."]