ESTABLISHED 1875. Manawatu Daily Times. The Oldest Manawatu Journal. Conducted by E. D. HOBEN. Published Every Morning. THURSDAY, MARCH 4, 1909. AN IMPERIAL ARMY.

Manawatu Times, Volume LXV, Issue 656, 4 March 1909, Page 4

ESTABLISHED 1875. Manawatu Daily Times. The Oldest Manawatu Journal. Conducted by E. D. HOBEN. Published Every Morning. THURSDAY, MARCH 4, 1909. AN IMPERIAL ARMY.

We have heard a great deal for some time past of the wonderful amy that Mr Haitians was to bring about without compulsion but with the aid of the melodrama, the territorials, and the unemployed. Even with these aids-and one noble lord was suggesting the assistance of melodrama for the Australian reoruiters—tne British Army has not filled up with remarkable rapidity, Yet now wo find the declaration cabled that the new army is to be comparable in'size to those of the great Continental Powers who count their soldiers in millions. That can only be brought about by universal oompulsory service, and if that is what is "foreshadowed" it moans a revolution in modern British methods and that the faith in the "wet ditch" is not what it was. We bolieve that it would bo a good thing for Britain. The Britißh are becoming norvy and panioky, and the best oorreotive for that is military training. Also it will mop np a great lot of the helplesß, hopeless army of unemployed to whose support we here out of our little means are being asked to contribute while tight alongside of them

is a distriot full of millionaires, any seotion of whom' coald probacy buy up New Zealand. However, it is pleasant enough to think perhaps that out of our superabundance we oan so readily send help to London, the centre of the world's and the Empire's weatlh, wherein our mortgagees dwell. To hark back to the military situation, compulsory servioe in Britain would mean a similar system in all the dependencies almost for a certainty, and for ourselveß we oannot see why it should not be so here.