The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7, 1909. NATIONAL DEFENCE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 476, 7 April 1909, Page 6

The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7, 1909. NATIONAL DEFENCE.

Having decided to reply to one point in Mr. James Allen's criticism of his Upper Hutt speech, the Prime Minister might with advantage have given some attention to the more important of his critic's arguments. There was abundant excuse for Mr. Allen's dissent from what he understood to be a condemnation of the naval policy of the Australian Government, but the point was not an important ono. Sir Joseph's language might quite fairly have been construed into an attack upon the ideas of the Australian Government in the matter, but there is no reason to doubt that he had no intention of saying anything uncivil or censorious,, and he was quite right to clear away any misunderstanding on the point? But we should have liked to hear what ho had to say upon , Mr. Allen's discussion of tho general eubject of defence. As Mr. Allen said: "What meaning can you extract out of such words as these: 'Ho would submit proposals, not of a compulsory character, to ensure a national system of drill for the youth of this country from the time they went to school, passing through the cadet course to the age of 21.' That either means compulsory training or it means nothing." What the Prime Minister has in mind, no doubt, is some thorough scheme for the encouragement of cadets to continue their drill and rifle-practice until they become men. But without compulsion of some kind it is obviously impossible to ensure such a continuity of application to the highest of national duties as Sir Joseph Ward seems to expect. Were he less of an optimist, the Prime.Minister would not place such reliance upon the willingness of our youths to make the positivo sacrifico of equipping themselves for action in defence of their country. It is no reflection upon the morale of our young men to say that compulsion is necessary to make them do their duty. A community's virtue is an indolent and negative thing. All of us perform quite gladly under compulsion duties that we would neglect if left free to do as we chose. All over the country mon who are worth listening to are advocating compulsory training. The question is one on which there is no division of class or party— unless we regard as a class or a party

those thorough-going lovers of liberty who talk, if they will not fight, for "the liberty not to defend one's country." The fixed antagonism of the Prime Minister to compulsion in defenco matters is a completely puzzling thing to us. He has never explained his theory in the matter, although no doubt he would talk about compulsion being "antagonistic to the instinct of the free Anglo-Saxon," or something of the sort. We shall admit that kind of argument when he abolishos the compulsion to pay taxes or to serve on a jury. The truth of the matter was probably hit upon by Mr. 1 James Allen when he said he doubted whether the Prime Minister has "thought the question out." Surely it is very singular that the Prime Minister will not give the country a clear lead on the subject of national defence. He has even maintained a firm silence upon the Imperial Army scheme which was the subject of a memorandum sent to the Government by the "War Office two months ago. Speaking at Newcastle on February 21 last, Mr. Haldane mentioned that he had received from the Canadian Government a telegram of approval' in reply to his memorandum. Jt is characteristic of Sir Joseph Ward's general attitude towards our home defence, wo are afraid, that it never occurred to him to tell anybody that such a memorandum had been sent to him. At the same time, it is quite likely that ho is inclined to assist in Mr. Haldane's project. The difficulty is that he will not realise that compulsory training is essential to any real system of defence in this country. Our contributor, "Echelon," gave us yesterday a sketch of the new system which appeare to lie behind the Prime Minister's vague language. It is a good enough system, but it cannot produce any real advance on existing conditions unless voluntaryism is abandoned. With everything assisting him to make up his mind in favour of compulsory training, it is surprising that the Prime Minister does not take the plunge from which he shrinks.