The N.Z. Times (PUBLISHED DAILY). WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 1905. MILITARY SERVICE.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 5668, 16 August 1905, Page 4

The N.Z. Times

(PUBLISHED DAILY). WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 1905. MILITARY SERVICE.

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Tlio idea seems to bo gaining ground in authoritative quarters that tlio only course of safety for British communities to take is to accept universal military training and service as a civic duty. It is hold that the voluntary principle lias had a full trial, and has failed to give satisfactory results, and tlio experience of the last South African campaign is cited as proving the fact. Our cablegrams this morning include a message stating that Lord Roberts, who has of lato been strenuous in his advocacy of universal training, intends to give addresses in all the large towns at Home, with a view to arousing the public to a sc-nso of tho danger arising from weakness in tho army. Tho other day, too, a cabled despatch from Sydney staled that tho New South Walds Commandant had strongly advocated universal military service, on the partiallytrained system. Against appeals of this kind tho common arguments are that British people will not tolerate anything in the nature of conscription, that if tho navy is kept, sufficiently strong tlio Empire will bo safe, and that in the ©vent of necessity arising every citizen would bo ready to spring to arms. The advocates of universal service have also to contend against a prevalent idea that “ militarism ” is in itself a enrso to be avoided, that all army organisations are corrupt, and that tho call to arms is raised in the interest of the military class, or of the “ Jingoes ” behind it, who would be ready to provoke war on tho slightest pictoxt.

There is, certainly, some ground for these objections to the introduction of universal military service in British communities. In especial, the rove--1 aliens of corruption and incompetency recently made are not calculated to inspire the people with confidence in military administration. The cry of “ conscription ” ought not, however, to frighten anybody. Such a term cannot apply to any system of universal training for defence which a free people may choose to establish; for it would not be compulsory service at the bidding of an autocracy or bureaucracy, but rather the voluntary recognition of a civic duty and a loyal insistence upon the duo discharge of the obligation that each unit owes to the State. The report of the Duke of Norfolk’s Commission last year on the British Militia and Volunteers showed that there was grave need for reform. In the majority report of that Commission, the statements occur that “ the militia, in its existing condition, is unlit to take the field for the defence of this country,” and that “ the volunteer force, in view of the unequal military education of the officers, tiho limited training of the men, and the defects of equipment and organisation is not qualified to take the field against a regular army.” Finally, the report stated “ that a Home Defence Army, capable, in the absence of the whole or greater portion of the regular forces, of protecting this country against invasion can be raised and maintained only on the principle that it is the duty of every citizen of military age and sound physique to bo brained for the national defence, and to take part in it should emergency arise.”

The report of the Inter-Departmental Committee on Physical Deterioration stated that as a rule only “the residuum of the population,” the poorest and feeblest specimens of the race, offered themselves for army service under the existing voluntary system. It is argued from this that even the regular British army is not to be relied upon as an adequate force to defend the Empire. Sir lan Hamilton, fresh from witnessing the achievements of the Japanese army, wrote to the Secretary of State for AVar; “This war has burnt into my mind, in a way nothing else could have done, that the condition of our army constitutes a terrible danger to the existence of our Empire. I have learnt here that nothing but the very best will do, and we have too often the worst.” Considerations such as these, and facts within bis personal knowledge, have doubtless influenced Lord Roberts in the crusade which bo has undertaken. No need exists, so far as present appear-

ances go, for any step being taken in this colony in the direction of universal military training, for the response made by volunteers and school cadets is a guarantee that wo shall have a sufficient force of partially trained soldiers j readv to take the field on any enter- ;

gonev. and hi io cope with any hostile force that could possibly Ik* landed on onr shoros; but in Great Rriiain, with the •‘armed camp” of Europe close at hand and invasion in force always an ugly possibility, the case is entirely (Liferent. It will not, therefore, he matter for surprise if some proposal is not adopted at Home for the organisation of a large military reserve based on the principle of universal service. In a pamphlet sent to us on “Compulsory Home Training,” by -Major 0. L. i>. Killick. a scheme is propounded for the formation of a force to he known a.s the Royal National Guards, to take the place of the Yeomanry, Militia, and Volunteers. Ho proposes that recruits should for five years undergo three months’ training annually in barrack or camp—drill being eliminated as much as possible and special attention being paid to musketry and jin igiiiß distances. Tho.se who underwent this course should then pass into the Home Reserve for seven years, when all that would he asked of them would be a fortnight's camp service every second year; afterwards they would pass into the Veteran Reserve, when aH required of them would bo the holding of themselves in readiness to servo in case of national emergency. Recruits who preferred naval service would be trained in the Royal Navy under similar conditions. This scorns a very workable plan of providing a. really efficient and homogeneous reserve force for Homo defence; the compulsory and universal nature of the service would, however, make it un pa'atablo, and hence the only way to render it acceptable is by educating public opinion. An estimate has been made that Britain, could have as largo an army as Russia, at a cost of two millions sterling less than the present Array Estimates show, if a system of a partiallytrained reserve were adopted. The Estimates for 1905 provide for an expenditure of £28,830,000, for a force of 884,095 men at an average of £32 12s 2d per head. This is a very expensive force as compared with the cost of other armies. In Italy the cost is only £4 lls lOd per soldier; in Austria-Hungary it is £4 18s 3d: in Germany, £6 IGs 9d; in Prance, £8 Is; and in Russia, £8 10s 3d. It is held that a standing army of 250,000 men would suffice for Britain, if the National Guards system were adopted, and there would then bo a total force of 4,500,000 trained or par-tially-trained soldiers at an average cost of £5 18s 4d per head. This would, of course, be militarism pure and simple, and the nation will have to be convinced of the absolute necessity for such a scheme before it will entertain the question of adopting it. It will bo interesting to note what measure of success attends tho crusade upon which Lord Roberts is entering.