COMPULSORY TRAINING.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 506, 13 May 1909, Page 6

COMPULSORY TRAINING.

The movement in; favotn of compulsory military training has, as was to be expected,. aroused /the antagonism of the Socialistic section of the community. Noting the leading spirits amongst the local advocates of the right to refuse to fight for their country, it seems fairly certain that there will be a good deal of noise from, their ranks to compensate for their -weakness in numbers. The friends 'of the movement for.a reasonable : system of defence need not, however, apprehend any real difficulty in obtaining definite assurances of the public's support, provided thit their caso is put clearly and forcibly. Nobody wishes the campaign to consist-of- vague appeals ,to . the .patriotism, of the people. The cause is one which will make greater progress the more the public is made acquainted with the advantages of having a trained male population.- Mr. M'Nab is-deserving of the highest 'commendation for his decision to deliver, addresses in support of the .movement in various parts of the Dominion. He is a good speaker, and he is cortain to be thorough in his treatment of the/subject. 1 But he is hardly a. stirring advocatc. While, therefore, he will certainly do good servico in the cause, :it is possiblo that he may find himsolf, before his campaign is ended, in a situation in which something more will- be required than logic and sincerity. To put the matter plainly, he will in all probability find some of his meetings disturbed by the. Socialists. He will have reason on his side; they will have lungs and a skill in disorder. It is not difficult to imagine a little, knot of noisy Socialists creating such a disturbance as. may so confuse the facts of a mooting as to afford tho Prime Minister an excuse to say that there is not the enthusiasm for compulsory training that is represented. The riotous meeting in Christchurch a few weeks ago .illustrates the way in which, mere .noiso and bad manners on the part of a small minority can provent a majority from getting itsolf clearly hoard. It has bow

plain that an organised, effort will be made by the Socialistic element to carry the meeting at the Town Hall this evening, and it is desirable thereforo that those supporting the movement in favour of universal training should assemble in force. We, are not at all cera'n. that Mn. H'Nab possesses the qualities which . would make him effective against noisy opposition, however useful his advocacy may prove in othor respects. It is all very well to say that the arguments of the speakers who on Friday night protested against compulsory training are too ridiculous to be worth wasting breath upon. They certainly were too absurd to require refutation, but the people who put thom forward, and the faction that supports. them, are capable of much noise, and will not show any scruples in-their, manner of opposition. The Prime Minister, we believe, requires a little encouragement to go a good deal further than his present shadowy proposals indicate, and it is desirable thereforo that he should receive that encouragement. In order to ensure this, the public will require to give the movement their active support. Numbers must be pitted against noise.