THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 1907. THE DEFENCE REPORT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13514, 12 August 1907, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 1907. THE DEFENCE REPORT.

The first report of the Council of Defence cannot be regarded as satisfactory, excepting in so far as it is always satisfactory to know that it is somebody's business to point out . the weak spots' in our defensive armour. Naturally, the Council does not ring a tocsin of alarm, for thatwould not be in accordance with military traditions, nor would it. make any great impression upon a public which is always disposed to think that military men have an axe of their own to grind when they demand che taking of steps .that- require the expenditure of hard cash. But if we read between the lines of the Council's report it is perfectly plain that- our system of defence is in as weak a state as can well be imagined. We are told, for example, that: " Should the volunteer force - not be maintained or brought up to • an efficient state, volunteering lias had its last chance. If the general - public are in earnest as to defence, i, they must themselves assist and en- • sure that under the volunteer system sufficient enlistment is made, and that once men are enlisted they must attend drill regularly. The alternative is a system of universal or compulsory training, whereby the burden of service in the defence is forces will be more evenly distributed." If we turn to the strength of the force for 1906-7, we find that it is only 20,033 all told—including , ( rifle clubs, defence cadets, and gar- "• rison bands. Considering the admitted difficulty of keeping the various corps effective and counting out — those who cannot be relied upon for active service, it would be a maximum estimate to conclude that or this number 12,000 men could be expected to respond to a call to arms. Even if we say 15,000, which is practically every " man" excepting the defence cadets, who are only promising boys—what army is that to defend the country with Doubtless there are many old volunteers, S- besides several thousands who have seen service in South Africa. As is pointed out in the report, it is im- ► perative that a reserve should be L ' organised, and for such a reserve we have absolutely no weapons, ,The

Council asks that sufficient 303 rifles should be kept in reserve to bring the number in the colony up to 50,000, and that steps should be taken to provide equipment for mobilisation. Which is to say that at the present time we have neither 1 reserves nor equipment, and that if, - by any series of circumstances, our volunteers should be called upon to defend their country, they would ' have to do so under the most discouraging and difficult conditions. ' That the Council is conscious of the financial tenderness of a colony which spends several million's annually upon so-called " sports" of various kinds, is shown by the modesty of its estimates. To defend all our lives and al' our property against invaders, we; are told that £184,000 will be required, which includes" not only current expenses but armament and equipment of a more permanent character. Seeing that this is a form of national insurance, it- cannot be said that- the insurance money paid is exorbitant, or that the country appears to have a very keen sense of the danger against which the Defence Force is supposed to provide. As a matter of fact, the Council of Defence is almost hopelessly handicapped by the British, attitude of "mind towards military training, which we have brought with us across the seas. If our race had been exposed to invasion, as has every European people, we should take the precautions which every, ri European people takes, whether it l be by the conscription system, as in - ambitious Prussia, or by the militia, system, as in free and inoffensive Switzerland. But owing to a- peculiar and extraordinary sequence of circumstances the British Islands have been for eight hundred years practically exempt from invasion., and during the century of colonial expansion the British Navy has been supreme upon the seas. It is absolutely impossible for us to expect that »in the coming century the oceans will bo as com- , pletely and unquestionably under! '* British > domination as they have been since Trafalgar; this, with the enormous increase in p transport power, clue to the immense shipbuilding and vast steam power of the age, and with the appearance in Asia as in Europe of great military and naval Powers, makes it sheer insanity for us to assume that we shall never be called-upon to protect our cities and countryside against hostile; armies. Yet, in the face of this changed situation, we still regard volunteering as a form of optional amusement. A young man may join either the volunteers or a football club; he may spend his evenings either at the Drill-shed or at the theatre; he may employ his afternoons either at the fort or on the bowling green ; and he may pass his Easter holidays either in training or on a- yachting cruise. The whole position of volunteering is absurd. Defence is either a duty, for which every man should be'compelled to' fit himself, or it is a mere diversion, in which case it may safely be left to option. It lias , never been held, and cannot possibly _ be held, that any function upon which the State depends for its life E ; is a matter which can be left to the nil option of men, particularly of young es - men. We might as well make payment of taxes optional as training le I to supposing that defence is

as essential as taxing, which no . man ever doubts when invasion comes. And we might much more wisely make education optional, for the great majority of people would send their children to school even if we abolished the truant officer. It is. impossible for the colony to make the volunteer system effective, in sjiite of the admirable devotion ; of those who form our little volunteer army. But we shall probably retain it as long as we are content to be without sufficient rifles, without suf/ficient guns, without sufficient ammunition reserves, and without any other requirement for efficient defence. •