DEFENCE PROPOSALS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 662, 12 November 1909, Page 7

DEFENCE PROPOSALS.

' COMPULSORY TRAINING. '. VIEWS 01? MR, JASj ALLEN. ' Interviewed by ii Dominion reporter with Teferende to tho defence proposals 'contained I in the Budget Mr. Jas. Allen, M,P. for Bruce, said that th«y were in'the direction of great v Improvement upon tho present volunteer, system. For instance (ho said), compulsory training' to ,21 jears of age would provide under the, conditions foreshadowed roughly In tho Budgot a fairly efficient force at 21 yean of ' age. The proposal was very much On the line's proposed during the short session by Mr. Knocks, Mr. Fisher, and himself. • , As the success of the scheme must depend lnrgoly on such an important detail as efficient nilans of training both of men and officers, he trusted that the ftamors of tho Bill tfduld note the suggestions made oh that point during 'tho short session,' i'he proposals in the Budget with respect - to the 20,000 men to bo available as an expeditionary force -were so meagre that he did not feel inclined to criticise them, exeept to eay that It seemed to ,hira iinipossible>td expect success from ■ n volunteer: sfeysfe'iri't of raising snch a. foroe unless the men were faffly weil, paid, i, In conclusion, Mr. Allen said that' the "selection , ', proposed in-the Budget to n|ljtho ranks in> case of the volunteer plan failing was, in hid opinion, entirely unsatisfactory, and where it had been tried had not proved a success. •■ " ,

AN EXCELLENT SCHEME. .

COLONBt/ -A.LLEN BELL INTERVIEWED. Colonel Allen Bell, of Hamilton, founded a few years ago tho New Zealand National tier* * vide- League, Which Mia afterwards affiliated with the National Lwgue" of N<w Zealand, the object of both bodies being to educate the country in the direction of adopting a system' of-general Military training, iiurlng the last lireive years Coloucl Boil nas worked consistently and energetically for this cause, both in faouth 'Africa and In. Hew island, and he naturally regards Sir , Joseph Ward's proposals tor* compulsory trailing with a gooa deal of pleasure, - ' Interviewed by a 'Domsios reporter yesterday; just'after his arrival on a short visit to Wellington, Colonel Bell said that, speaking broadly, he thought ttiq,Qovei'iDMont's scheme of "universal military training was a very excellent one. It was practically on the lines upoii which tho .National League had been agitating during tho last four or five years, and ho felt euro that the marked Change in public opinion within that period was due in no small degree to the efforts put forth by the league. He had advocated a three years term instead of two, and a month's, instead of a fortnight's training every year, bnt he recognised that, in i the initial stages of sueh & Movement, it 'was necessary to put forward something that would be 'accepted, and to rely upon gradually educating the people up to a higher ktanilaru. The provision ior an active lotto oi 20,030, and the betting apart of areas of land for training camps, also struck ■'him as excellent idtos. These instruction camps ' -would bo practically continuous, and i thus 1 coiild be attended with a miuimum of inconvenience by mon of different occupations. Coun- '' try'workers could best bo spared in tho winter, but men from the towns could probably go just es'well in. the summer. «„„'.,,, "Hitherto," continued Colonel Bell, "I have been strongly against nflo clubs, as 1 have felt that shooting was Only a part—though a necesbary part—oi military training. A body of tho'finest shots would bo useless in the nold, if for want of military training thoy could not be manoouvrod. < In this scheme, however, only those who /are physically unfit, o.r who hate already passed through military training, aro to be esicournged to join rifle clubs. "There wlif Bβ a'.lotiii u.iuuwiion about tho proposal that the training snail tako place in ordinary civilian' dress. Uniforms make'for smartness and efficiency, but to clothe te> many men would cost a great deal of money, and it is probably advisable to do without uniforms lor the present. That may be altelcd later on. "It will be absolutely necessary to make some provision in order that tho absence of men at the training camps shall not press hardly upon their employers. All the employees of one firm must not go into camp at once, but there must be a system o! relays. The period in camp should r.ot be allowed to cut into the regular holidays of the employees. The fqreo should not be paid anything for the timo epent in training, but food and camp equipment should, of coarse, be provided for them, us at present. • \ "Employer? and workers alike should loo! on this training as a high national duty and i privilege, "I do not oee any proposals for tho higher training of officers—a matter of great importances. Such twilling should be placed nithln the reach of all ofilcers, so as to enablo them to tako their places beside officers from overeoa/ To effect this a miliary college should I be established, as it wowj,j_not be possible to ', eefid Home nil those wDor' t »3eired such trainI ing. J "The true solution of the problem lies in the \ teaching of the yonne. If a start Li made as \ Boon n<s they are able to understand any- \ thing, and thev n;e bo 'taught nt school ns to \frrow up uitli the idea that they have ft lofty \dnty to perform for their country, and that i ifbis duty is also a grcit uiivilepe, then there tfi'.l be no difficulty about compulsion."

A OUNEOIN.VIEW. (By Toleeraph-Vreas Association) ■ ' Dunedin, November 11. A prominent volunteer otiicer, in conversation with a reporter to-day, etpr&eed tho opinion that members of the defence forces and nieilibors of the public who had given the defenCe Woblcni wrioiis Consideration would bo pleased with the Prime Minister's proposals, especial!? thato bearing on compulsory training Tl<i part relating to people between IS arid 21 'ears of age was especially gratifyingi but he slienld have preferred to see those over 21 years compelled (o nil the ranks of the etajtdiwr,ftrmy. . , - {