UNIVERSAL MILITARY TRAINING.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXXI, Issue 15331, 14 June 1910, Page 8

UNIVERSAL MILITARY TRAINING.

why: it is unpopular in BRITAIN. MONOPOLY OF ARISTOCRATS. MR M'NABS EXPERIENCES. [Fbom Our Correspondent.] WELLINGTON, June 13. Before Mr Roborfc M'Nab went tq England he carried out an active plat, form campaign in favour of universal military training. He returned to New Zealand this week to find a schemo of that kind on the Statute Book and itd practical details in active preparation. "I am particularly pleased," said ths ex-New Zealand Defence Minister, wheri he was asked to give his views on the progress of the compulsory service movement. " But for Lord Kitchener's visit I do /not think the Government could have contemplated that extension ojj the age limit which has been decided upon, although I found during my campaign that the public were very strongly in tavour of universal training." "In England," said Mr M'Nab, "I had an opportunity of meeting officers f from Lord Roberts down to junior lieutenants and administrative men, and my own personal opinion is that Austral lia and New Zealand have done right in going in for universal training. Thera is no doubt that it improves the system, immensely to raise the age limit. M the system is put into wording order it will be perfected." " What progress is the defence movement making in England?" Mr M'Nalj was asked. " A spurt was taking placo in tba English Territorial system at the tima of my visit," was the reply; " but the real opinion is that sufficient attention is not being paid to land defence, though there is nothing to complain oi in regard to the navy. 1 could not find any members of the Territorial system who regarded it as getting rid oi the objections to tho Volunteer system. It is just that system with greater quirements, but without the provision tor rilling them, 'i'hey should eimply use it as a machine'for universal military training by making everyone ga through it or abolish the Volunteer system and make men drill at stated times, They have neither the one nor the other, and it is Lord Roberts's opinion thai the Tentorial system would not supply enough men to meet the wastage in war. I did not get a single derenca man in England who considered that the Territorial system was the solution of the question." Mr M'Nab lectured on behalf of ths National Defence league, and heard Lord Roberts speak on tho subject ol universal military training, hut he did not think the movement was making much headway in England. " It is very popular a.moiig the wealthier classes, ' lie remarked, " but it has never taken hold of the mass of the people. My opinion as to the reason for that is that the mass of the people do not regard the government of the country as their business like they do in New Zealand. Onlv a section of the people possess the' franchise, and the rest naturally ask why they should be compelled to defend a country that will not allow them even te vote. I contended that manhood suffrage, if not adult suffrage, must precede universal training, but few of those with whom I was associated would support that policy. Some men said, they would rather drop the policy of universal training than associate it with adult suffrage. Under these circumstances, as you can imagine, universal trailing meetings were rather aristocratic. Some of my meetings wera fixed for four o'clock in the afternoon, and the audience rolled up in motorcars and carriages with footmen. Tha great mass of the people could not got into the meetings. I saw that myself. At the meeting addressed by Lord Roberts, probably half of those present had come in motor-cars. They wers already converted but the very people whom'it was desired to convert could not get in. That, lam afraid, is typical. Whether it is inevitable is aiv other matter. So long as it exista, however, I fear we will never see universal training in Britain. The subject was brought up at the generaj elections, but neither political party would touch it, although the Unionist were, generally speaking, associated with the movement." '