GUARDING THE EMPIRE.

Mataura Ensign, 24 February 1909, Page 3

GUARDING THE EMPIRE.

Al' STli ALI AN KJil'O UTS. y i i!.i ! inr vi-:i,Kt.ie'> en— coi'YUKiU'I eiat usiTtn n:i-:ss Assoi.'urioN. Fehtuarv 24. 10.30 a.m. MELBOURNE, Feb. 2-1. Tlio Federal Minister tor Defence (.the Hon. G. K. Pcarce) lias prepared a report un the political aspect of tin question in connection with the proposal imperial General Stall ami the suggestion ilia! Australia should rais< live divisions of the army which is Ix.

the Empire. A second report hj o>louel iload deals exclusively with tin military aspect of the matter. Both reports have yel to he considered by Cabinet.

The reports are the outcome o) a .speech by Mr Halda'io (Secretary oi State tor War) at Newcastle the other tiny, when he. declared that Canada was easily able to add five or .six Territorial divisions for her own tie fence and for the assistance of the Umpire. The 'Times' said that in aremergency Australia might produce live. New Zealand one, and South Africa lour or five divisions, which, aided by Britain's fourteen second line divi sion.s and sixteen first line divisions, would give the Empire an equivalent o! twenty-three Army Corps-, it added that Germany hail also twenty-throe Army Corps.