FIFTY YEARS AGO

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22224, 26 September 1935, Page 8

FIFTY YEARS AGO

RESERVE DEFENCE FORCES Schemes for providing adequate forces of men for the naval and military defenee of New Zealand were receiving considerable attention half a century ago, in view of the threats of war from several directions. A proposal to bring soldiers, whose service in India had ended, to the colony as settlers, wB3 warmly supported in the New Zealand Hkrald of September 26, IS&>. "We have often spoken in these columns of the difficulty of creating in new countries like the Australian and New Zealand colonies regular naval and military forces, owing to tlie great cost. To meet such difficulties we have frequently suggested the forming of a seaboard population by small settlements of fishermen, who would place at the disposal of the country in time of need a naval reserve like that in England. " Concerning the army, we have been unable to suggest any better plan than an arrangement with the Home authorities to pay a force of their solders, m spite of the heavy expense. A new scheme has been proposed by General Roberts which appears to be free from all objection. His plan is that on completion of the annual home reliefs, * troopship should run from India to the colonies. Bv arrangements in harmony with Mr. Ballance's plan of semi-mm-tary settlements along our trunk railway line, any number of these timeexpired soldiers could be drawn to eT r Zealand, and settled down on the land-; in our genial climate. Veteran warriors still in the prime of life, they would constitute at call a militia composed or troops of the line, a military body ol the highest, class."