THE DREADNOUGHTS AND DEFENCE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 473, 3 April 1909, Page 4

THE DREADNOUGHTS AND DEFENCE.

Although Sir Joseph Ward's defence of his action in making the Dreadnought offer without consulting members of Parliament is thoroughly unsound, a like reproach does not lie against his reference to tho unfortunate entanglement of the offer with British party politics. He is to be congratulated on having taken the opportunity of repudiating tlfe suggestion that eithe" f.' Government or the people of Nov '> tL-ind regard the offer as being in any way whatever related to colonial •%(■>, or as being made for any reas>v». .-a\;- a desire to take a share in the ril'-i! of Imperial defence.. As to the c".- Mihii-.ion.il aspect of Cabinet's action, i! n:n beside ihe point to say that l';u !i.-ni-nt. can refuse to ratify the offer it' !! chooses. Silt Joseph Ward know- \. Vet;.,- well that Parliament cannot)* •'/! do other than ehdjifse ,•.< lability that has been incurred,.-'v'h. ■ >''-i opinion it may hold .regrtdiiig th.' iiugnitude of that'liability. • Hs hands arc tied. Xor can any ■ vaiiditv be admit; ;d to the

Prime Minister's assertion that no Gov- I eminent "worth its salt would have delayed in such a matter by sending out telegrams instead of acting at oncc," for tho simple reason that tho Government did not act at oncc, but some days after the situation arose which called for action. Why could not members have been consulted in those four or five days, during which, so Silt Joseph. Ward said the other day, he was giving the matter anxious consideration 1 This is a ques- 1 tion, however, of which we shall hear more in the future. Tho Prime Minister was vague in his references to the financing of the offer, and we must await fuller details before offering our criticism. He says little more than that the cost will not be handed on to posterity. That is as it should be, and we need, only add that the period within which repayment is made should bo as short as possible, and that there must be no extra taxation to raise the money necessary. The reorganisation of the present unsatisfactory system of homo defence which has been known for some time to be under consideration by tho Government was dealt with in very guarded language by the Prime Minister. He not only keeps secret the details of the plan which is to furnish this country with a real defence force; he hardly even hints at the general lines to be followed. He was definite only to the point of confirming our forecast of Wednesday that the cadct system is to bo the medium for the creation of our future army. Sin Joseph has apparently lost none of his singular dislike for the "compulsion" in matters of defcnce which he is ready to apply in almost every other region of the public's interest. Until we have full particulars of the changes to bo made, we must of course remain unable to say whether a way has been found for obtaining as good results from voluntaryism as from a scheme of compulsory training. Wo have no doubt that Mr. Haldane's "Array of Empire" proposals will shape the development of New Zealand's longdelayed movement towards establishing and maintaining a really efficient defenco force. The present is an exceptionally fine season for the progress of idcaß in Imperial defencc. Jt : remains for Parliament to see that the slackening of the present intense interest in the Empire's land and sea forces is not accompanicd by the relegation of the Government's scheme to the limbo in which more than ono enthusiasm is buried and forgotten.