DEFENCE AND AGRICULTURE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14223, 20 November 1909, Page 4

DEFENCE AND AGRICULTURE.

BY ARBACES..

The old map hangs on tEe wall; its ./ - 11 are frayed the varnish is fissured thr It f ffi two continents, and the children's firS U have marked the trade routes of the r 2? II -from the North Sea to the New WnSf IE New York, Boston, and the St. tawren 11 eastward through the Straits' of GibrijSl W and the Mediterranean, to the w?st<, r 'I II of the Suez Canal and still eastward I, I the barren peninsula where Sinai': proS' 11 her bare, brown, hills into the Red £%1 bare as in . the days of • Amalak, with h II and there a narrow valley green after'? *1 inconstant rains. The ships pass tn ! 111 fro, through the EedSeaiby 1 f tains of Arabia, black granite, gneiss!"!;! porphery, that screen the cradle oftS If in the valleys of the Hedjaz, and the T% I | row channel called with thoughtless t_f 8 logy the Straits of Babelmandeb El-Rd W in Arabic means the gate. There i, 2S 1 parting of the ways for India, Malaya V 3 I Africa, China, Japan, and AustraiiaT I from their western havens, they pass k'.v • IS Cape Verde Islands, inandoSSfe |R Stream, eastward to the Cape, and 5' 1 ward to the Horn. They J? I and their courses spread over the _»&'£ IK . From the Old World to the New they ll I the pilgrims and merchandise of the worH? * I from hemisphere to hemisphere- ll the; clear^calms; of. the 1 snows and fogs of Labrador. In . the <2 rl M pass of their wanderings is contain J-; P important problem of defence. ' S d »' i fence of th ? food supplies of the'MotW &■ land, and of the sea-borne commerce Si 1 several States which form ; the 1 It has been customary to express the forf- I supply of a nation in terms of Wheat. & 1 chilled chambere are transferring the fIS B and herds of Australasia and the AreeS I to the cities of the United Kingfi*![ 1 beef and mutton must now be adiaitted tf 1 the list. No nation has so wide/an En, m pire as we, rich in food and raw materiak' felt is necessary to recall the importance S I an efficient navy; to the economic growil 1 of every part. The influence of pows I on« wealth is a I dogma of our creed ml K owe our wealth to our sea-borne "conunerefl r and we regard the defence of/the; ocean! 1 highways as the first duty of the State iI I But we cannot seek this aim without com* m ing in sight of another aim too, that of $'-" co-operation,: for no .nation has such _fflu' widely scattered Empire. ''WearejeaW M of our. naval supremacy, because it is necd.l sary to our safety. - Our schemes are thall claims of defence; and it is well to scan M M map of the ocean v trade routes, adequately m to measure our responsibility. Our home! 1 If our products, and : our markets Z'define'Vfl* M scope of our defensive duties. " I M Is it necessary to repeat that we ha?« js4 no sympathy with the ambitious dreams ofiß the professional graduates of the camp andiS the trail, who would bring: back the policy I W of the Hums? Or to point out that w«J|» have not yet reached the roseate days of the M millenium? .History is full of warniiwji B even till to-day. Empire and defence have* 1 a clear sequent connection; but, unfortun.l m ately, we take little more than an |fe interest in , the scope of naval strate&*li| I and of lessons, taught since the- days wSfc M Rome was mistress of the MediteiTane«itlli Sea. Hannibal was the greatest soldier of iMpf day. We forgot the simple lessons of Ha_l| nibals difficulties, due to the nav*r jm ness of Carthage, his - broken ,:c6mmuiiics. \fe tions, and his short surcease of trial aft«l|fl his brother had defeated the Roman legionjl 4$ under Hanno. Holland in her war witliil •; us m 1653 and 1654, was reduced toaccert M' humiliating conditions/ notwithstanding- t_J!i > bravery of her people ; not • because of hS !| defeats, but because of: her' rapid economic m prostration. ■;;, /" An ; < ungenerous ';■: soil./;' and*™!§ severe climate had made Agriculture v\n,'£ profitable. She was-unable ,"to supptii M ; more than ten per cent, of herfpopulatiot|l m Her food supply was sea-borne, and; sl_ m was unable 'to . protect : her trade'- route, M Eighteen months after the -war began, theft m public chest was empty,- the people were | clamouring: for bread, and grass was grew, *■ |l ing in the streets of Amsterdam. This itS >'"-', a lesson from the history of Holland, and iM$ establishes the importance bf Agriculture _ M the defence of highly populated States. B» 11 ■ decay of Agriculture in the United Kingdoi M must-influence our naval tactics, and ma| ■ necessary a, wide circle of adventures, that can add but little to the' efforts that ter> \ M ■ minate a war. In New Zealand our food \m supply, is never likely to be a compellins; ! I factor m war. We can remain self sni-lii eient for many years. It is otherwise. jni bl : the United Kingdom, where 42/ million* M occupy an area about the size* of the smelelil State of Prussia. '.■ ■' '•.:'; *,fe The importance of agriculture in the it- '■ fence of the United Kingdom deserves more I !.;- than a passing notice. ' It", has a dirtci *■ ~ * ' effect . on ; the physique :of .•; the; population, ] M and is the remedy for their increasing ten-' i dency to move into the large cities. Bri- ii tish agriculture is decadent. • Owing to un-' if-'.: restricted foreign competition, railway!re-Sp bates, and the absorption' of canal : ownership by : the railway companies, the United '§§ Kingdom is becoming a grass country. .Tie jg railway companies own unopposed all M 'M machinery of inland portage; .'and an Art ifcf of Parliament was necessary to prevent tka ft from allowing the canals from 'being siM H up. Even, fruit-growing, for which the i country in many parts is peculiarly S is no longer a profitable industry., Londoallg ' is probably the only large European capital 'pj; into- which farm produce is carried 'daily ]|"| on wains and coster carts. , '■ Expedients rf H olden times, and traction by horse and as, 'm are cheaper than the railway,-iand•'alTtl» jm , poor farmers can afford.' The railway cor*' m panies find it profitable to favour the large M Continental and American shippers. Sure-, m ly, England must soon face her own ecoiifll pimic emancipation as a necessa-rV.measure of ih* defence. She is ivj'ed over by tradition, 'rf and bowed under vested interests of one sort m and - another.. -Her peerage B/so!newlai| g large for so small ■ a country, > and sa' vase |f area is tied up: in the Established Church m # Her farm labourers are leaving.; the croft*: g| era left when it paid their, landlords to gro* w§; grass. But Hodge is physically and men'] 1 tally less efficient than the Hieland cottier; iB and Hodge is an important factor of defence. Jm Poor Hodge! Your parish schoohnasterJ m have for centuries been more than carefri/ H • that your education should be a& humble '«f 1your station in life. Generations of iPil|,' ance and humility have left you a serf. * fl fl|l' heart! The Fates are kinder'.than ;o«t<v ; parish teachers, for they ■:, : have ~plucke| M . Nemesis by the ear. "" . - , /-'I 'g •;■- /The, revival of farming in England wools '-MM make little difference -to our exports in tiiii?* » . of peace, and would entrench .the. Mother* J| ; ' land in days of stress. --Her naval strategjj ||| would not be hampered by conceivable con- !;.j.. ' ditions that might force her to lessen :WW 'strength, and weaken her purpose by sprea| { m [ ing put her forces. In a European war off |g own commerce could best be protected "■i the North Sea,, the Atlantic, and the Medl : H| . terranean. In these days of wireless *If ' n I graphy, distant forays against -comrnertf ||| would be unsuccessful while the defens«» I H /fleets remained efficient.'. : England \m many advantages of posifion for defence® g " the danger zone. Our, commercial comr^UjHM tors are not in the United Kingdom, but Jjj vm . Denmark, Russia/and the Argentine Bepup* || 1 lie. - The Motherland has nothing to n||i ' at present, but tariff reform is in view, w° m ■ preference for the colonies, and for e .r-J§ 1 tish farmer in his own markets. . i°™-r. M ; cheaper in protected Germany, than m *FMH Trade England. -V Protection" is a Ta»*?°! If - factor of defence. Free Trade has J*"3Hffl - the protected States a bargaining. P°J!3[« r and made it possible for them to a ra *lTg| - ; separately into their fiscal systems. •■ is an unforeseen evolution. .It is e<^e \jji. ||J , to give prominence to the vast a rf |Sjjj'i' ties of trade within the Empire. in »» |> i sea power we find the onlv securat y w B| » mutually;: promoted prosperity, ' and oi . &. - economic expansion of vital 3 ■ our working men, who find themselves ■> g ■ > and more shut out by hostile taritts •' ,|, • : the markets of Europe and America. • J j||