THE DEFENCE SYSTEM.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20991, 2 April 1930, Page 4

THE DEFENCE SYSTEM.

COMPULSORY TRAINING. CONFLICTING VIEWS. (Special to Daily Times.) . WELLINGTON, April. 1. “If the country finds that there is not > sufficient money available for defence purposes to enable the present system of universal compulsory military training to be efficiently carried out, then undoubtedly that system must be modified or replaced,” stated Colonel H. E. Avery to-day. “ Indeed, it would appear that even the present defence vote is not in itself adequate to ensure the attainment of real efficiency, but in my view it is rather premature to express an opinion on (he matter at the present timej because we do not yet know to what extent the vote has got to be cut down. If, however, the system of universal compulsory military training is to disappear, some form of training for land defence should certainly be substituted for it. It is my opinion that in that case the Defence Forces of the Dominion should be remodelled on a volunteer basis, with the retention of a sufficient permanent staff of officers and noncommissioned officers to carry out the administration and the training of the volunteer forces, I do not think that anybody will challenge the proposal to spend more mon#p on the Air Force. I think it is generally admitted that the Air Force must be extended and made a thoroughly efficient unit, but no one who has had any experience of war will say that the Air Force, no matter how efficient, is going to replace the infantry entirely. The Air Force is simply an auxiliary arm, a scouting force' and so on, taking much .* the, "same place, in modern ; warfare that* the cavalry used to in fl>e old clays. I would like at the same time to express the opinion that the value of the present system of universal compulsory military training was fully demonstrated on the outbreak of the war in 1914, when the organisation, of the New Zealand Territorial Force,’ then only in its infancy, facilitated the raising, training, despatch, and maintenance of what is recognised as one of the finest fighting divisions ever put in the field. I think you will find that the general opinion of those who have had anything to do with the organisation and administration of the New Zealand Territorial Forces would favour a volunteer system should universal compulsory military training have to disappear. In my opinion the decision of the Government to curtail the military training of the youth of New Zealand has been brought about by the need for economy and by the fact that it has been fully recognised by all who are in any way interested in defence as being a necessary provision, so that the development of aviation may be more vigorously prosecuted than it has been in the past to enable our aerial fighting force to become a real* factor in the event of hostilities. Personally I should very much regret to see a wholesale cutting down of our land forces, and I trust, that the Government will maintain skeleton , cadres in order to enable, should the need arise, a force of trained men to be available as officers and noncommissioned officers and instructors. It is an undoubted, fact that the need for State economy is becoming a real factor in our everyday life, and that not only should an attempt be made to save the Defence Department, but the expenditure of all departments should be closely watched to ensure that they are not too heavily staffed and to ascertain where savings can be effected. Any cutting down of the services will inevitably result in a reduction in the New Zealand Staff Corps, and this I hold is very much to be regretted as I feel that the youth of New Zealand, who have taken up military service, have done so with the object of its being their life profession. I therefore hope that if it is essential that the staff should be considerably reduced steps will be taken by the Government to see that the young members of the staff are given an opportunity to continue following their profession in the Imperial Forces. While it is considered by a great many that the early reinforcements which took part in the late war were composed mainly of men who had done previous military training, it must he admitted that the later reinforcements consisted, of men Who. had had no military training whatever, I venture to say that the intensified training that they received in New' Zealand'before leaving for the scene of • operations made them as good soldiers as these who were privileged to • leave; in ;the early days of the war. Therefore, while every care should be taken that we maintain a force that will not be a negligible quantity in the case of trouble, we must at the same time realise that the. youth of this Dominion are readily trained, and when they do get into the field make excellent soldiers.”

“ All that I am prepared to say just now,” said the Rev. J. E. Blanchard (minister of St. John’s Presbyterian Church), “is that the proposal to abolish compulsory military training is in keeping with. the decision of the 1 General' Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand, a decision which has been mada year after year for the past four or five years, and it will undoubtedly bo welcome to the General Assembly. It is a striking thing that the attitude of the press has evidently changed from one of opposition to the abolition of compulsory military training to one in favour of it. Personally for many years I have felt that compulsory military training, being a conscriptive measure, is entirely foreign to British sentiment and tradition. In fby opinion, therefore, it is an anomaly deserving removal. New Zealand is the only Dominion in the British Empire'to retain a bystem' of universal compulsory military training. In these days when the leaders of the world are making a determined, ancL I believe, honest effort to secure a lasting basis for peace, it seems to me imperative that the nations should avoid any conscriptive measure which will give to the world any appearance of being an armed camp. Surely the best defence which nations have is that of mutual understanding, confidence and trust, remembering the wise dictum, ‘ what binds peoples to US is not fll6 machinery we employ, but the spirit we are of.’” TARANAKI VETERANS. ■ A VIGOROUS PROTEST. (Pee United Pbess Association.) NEW PLYMOUTH, April 1. A vigorous protest against th_ proposal to abolish military training was made by the Taranaki Maori Veterans’ Association to-day, when old campaigners of from 70 to 90 years of age spoke r' the necessity for young men to be taught to defend their country. It was decided to urge the Government not to consider the proposals to abolish military training. The chief speakers were Lieutenant-colonel C. H. Weston, D. 5.0., and Chaplain-colonel F. G. Evans.