THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1901.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11842, 20 December 1901, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1901.

For the eighth time our colony is mustering men for Imperial service in South Africa. It is considerably over two years since the Boer attack upon our Imperial frontiers roused us to national self-defence, but the long dragging months and years have in no way weakened the determination of our provinces or dampened the ardour of our volunteers. Contingent after contingent has turned away more men than it carried from our shores. This Eighth Contingent, suddenly determined upon in response to an overwhelming public opinion, is being volunteered for as strenuously and as numerously as was the First. It is to be a thousand strong, formed of young men in the prime of life and in the soundest of physical health, who are each and all good riders and fair shots large number for a population no greater than that of Liverpool or Glasgow, which has already sent over two thousand similar men into the fieldand though only five days have elapsed since the word flashed through the colony it is evident that half-a-dozen other contingents of equal strength could be raised as readily. The question is not how the Thousand is to be raised but how the limit is to be adhered to without heartburning. North Island and South Island have been allotted their equal quotas where either would willingly have supplied the whole. Each province has been allotted in turn its share upon a population basis. Each district has similarly been awarded its proportionate number of places. We can hardly say that there has been " a call," for so far is the actual state of affairs from anything approaching a- levy that not a single district but would consider itself honoured if a double number could be taken from its eager applicants. In Auckland City alone places have been applied for which would more than exhaust the two hundred assigned to the entire Province ; and this ardour is neither more nor less than that which is being manifested in every recruiting cert-re, from Dunedin to Whangarei. We have already remarked upon the? very remarkable absence, in the mustering of this Eighth Contingent, of ' any visible excitement. So far from the movement having been fostered in any way by public? speakers or by the public press it came as a bolt from the blue. ■ The German sneers and the British Pro-Boer tirades stung the colonial pride, the signs of Canadian activity stirred the colonial heart, the hint that more men would be acceptable quickened the colonial temper into action. Last week, the idea of anothei contingent, and a strong one, was suddenly and spontaneously mooted by the press in various parts or the colony and was found to be in keeping with a deep public feeling. The accepted conclusion that no further colonial aid was required by the Imperial Government was instantaneously reversed. On the Wednesday, the New Zealand Herald suggested the consideration of the advisability of offering an Eighth Contingent; on the Thursday the. Premier consulted members of Parliament .by telegraph; oe the Friday the replies received from every constituency showed the unanimity of the colony; and on the Saturday the public heard with approval that a thousand horsemen had been offered to help finish the war. The story of the Eighth Contingent is worthy of attention lor two reasons: foi the proof it affords of the inherent loyalty of New Zealand and of its unfaltering readiness to make sacrifices for the Imperial idea whenever sacrifices are shown to be called for ; and for the argument it offers in favour of the more systematic organisation of the Empire. The history, of the South African war shows that the colonies do not desire to shirk their share in the defence of the great Empire in which j they, inherit place and from which J

« they receive the blessings oi Paw Security and Freedom. 1 - The di£ ? 5 culty is that we have as yet no defi' ® - nite • arrangements -by -which or* colonial forces can be systematically ] brought into action in case of Im, perial need. All through the war w : have never quite known , how : - " stood and have had to express our• : loyalty by bringing our contingent forward in a more or less haphazard • fashion. Expenses have - fcVen *• - borne by private subscription bv '' colonial votes, by Imperial funds ~ ~ Horses have been furnished bv the ' same means, and even by trooper? ''' themselves, When we felt that the ll pressure was great we strained even- - 1 nerve, publicly ' and . privately tl strengthen the Imperial Government P in its magnificent stand for our coin :' nial rights; when we thought the pressure had relaxed we may p os : : sibly have refrained from - needed " action in ignorance that this was still desirable. For while svstems have an unfortunate habit of becoming cumbered by red-tape, lack ol system has the still more dangerous quality of beiug not merely exhaust- - ing, but very irregular. It is not f to^SSl much to say that our exertions have hot had the effectiveness which they would have had under a sound Imperial defence system, .and that our ' ■ lack;of system has caused loyal in* : dividuals to be heavily burdened with matters that the loyal com- .- munity would have borne easily! and willingly. It was to be expected ■ * that this unforeseen emergency A'would have found us thus unpre-' ' pared, nor do any grudge the enatgy, " : put forth to counterbalance our lack. of organisation nor carp at' the confusions which have existed and still exist. But we would urge that no' ' ' time should be lost in bringing about 'C a clear understanding between the various Britains as to our respective responsibilities and . liabilities when the Empire is assailed. ' The present unfortunate position of Australia - undoubtedly, due to the 1 absence of some such understanding, for the maintenance ,of which every loyalist . could rally, irrespective of party,; ' In July, 1900, Mr. Seddon submitted M to the House a defence . paper in I which he outlined an " Imperial reserve, suggesting that in New' Zealand alone a force «f 10,000 specially classified volunteers could be ; maintained. These men would hold themselves, during the fixed term of their special enlistment, ready to respond at call to Imperial emergen-' cies. The general, principle of a ■ great Imperial y reserve, ■, spread through the volunteering: ranks of the self-governing ■ colonies, . and mobilisabls for Imperial action in v some proportionate and constitutional manner, does not seem im- ■ practicable. But what must necessarily precede.it is some form, however tentative, of Imperial Council, upon which the colonies can speak and through which -they can gradually arrive at a workable system of Imperial Defence. ■ v..:.'.'"