DEFENCE OF THE DOMINION

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 77, 13 November 1911, Page 5

DEFENCE OF THE DOMINION

FIGHTING SPEECH BY SIR * J OSEPH' WARD. POSITION FULLY STATED. (Per Press Association) Invercargill, November 12. Sir Joseph Ward went to the Bluff on Saturday, where lie received a cordial reception from the Mayor and citizens, Mrs Nichol (wife of the Mayor) presenting a bouquet to Lady Ward. During the afternoon the ladies at the Bluff gave a reception to Cady Ward. in the evening the Premier addressed about seven hundred people, and was very warmly received. The Mayor presided. Most of Sir Joseph Ward’s speech covered old ground, hut on the question of defence lie touched new matter. The Opposition the Territorials. He contradicted the statement that the Defence Department was compelling boys and cadets to go into camp with men. This was worse than untrue, because the Opposition knew that under the Territorial system cadets were not under the jurisdiction of the Defence Department, but controlled by the education authorities. Their own teachers wore their officers. It lias also been said that the senior cadets (ages 15 to 18 years) should not lie allowed to go into camp with men. The proposal to have boys go into camp was not contemplated by the Bill. These statements were a colossal attempt to snatch votes from the mothers of the boys. In declaring against the boys going into camp, They were saving that the Prime Minister should prevent something that was never proposed to be done. The defence system was supported by every member of the Opposition and by the Trades and Labour Councils, and was the law of the Dominion. Why had no member of the Opposition published not a line in support of it? Because they believed that but a small section of the community was against it. It was a question which should be placed above party tactics, and wheroevor be wont ho would call attention to the men who were sheltering under the cover of a prearranged silence.

Our Dreadnought. Referring, to the Dreadnought, the Premier spoke of Mr Massey’s assertions concerning the autocratic nature of his (Sir Joseph Ward’s) doings. There were GO or 70 Opposition candidates saying at the present time that he ought to lie put out of office on account of his action regarding the Dreadnought. Ho had consulted Parliament and his colleagues, and the presentation of a Dreadnought had been made subject to ratification hv Parliament. The Opposition now stated that they objected to the way In which the proposal had been made and that the honour and prestige of the country would have been jeopardised if they had voted against it. Sir Joseph Ward declared' that every member of Parliament could have voted against the proposal without loss of prestige to the country had ho so desired, because ho had left the way open. Members of the Opposition had voted for the proposal because in their own minds they knew what a grand thing it was for the country

and for the Empire, and wanted’-to have a share in the kudos of passing it. If the proposal had not been made till Parliament sat, the effect would have been lost. Being made when it was, it caused other nations to realise for the first time in the history of Great Britain that the Dominions beyond the seas were ktiifc (irmly with the Motherland.

The Yellow Peril. He reminded the workers that tjio Labour Government of Australia had established universal military training and decided to build a licet of its own. A naval expert had estimated that the capital cost of the navy would bo twenty or thirty millions, and iiiternal defence. should cost two millions a year. If the Labour Government or Australia had done .that, might not New Zealand be willing to pay £IOO,ODD a year for internal defence and £150,000 a year for naval defence? By reason of the greater number of harbours, the coast line of New Zealand was more vulnerable than that of Australia. The Premier went on to speak of the proximity of Australia and Now Zealand to China, of the awakening in that country, and of the imminent danger of the yellow peril. The Pacific squadron had been called to Homo waters. v A Shadow in New Zealand.

The shadow of a great coloured nation was looming over our country, and if'ws were not reasonably equipped within our own borders and Bind cot the protection of the British Navy, we would find ourselves at the mercy of China, which had been equipping during the last ten years and was expected by the authorities to bo within the next ten years Oven greater than Japan. Would anyone contqhd that if China were as well equipped as Japan, there was no danger to New Zealand? It was the bouncleh duty of every man in the Dominion to be as well trained as the trained men who were likely to come and attempt to take the country from us. To-day in New Zealand there was the purest race in the world. This wivs admitted, and was owing to the strict laws that were in favour with regard to the immigration of aliens. Would they have it said that in the event of trouble arising, ten men in a street would volunteer for active service service while twenty men in the sanio street would refuse to do anything of the kind? This would mean that the brand of “coward” would bo stamped on the forehead of the people of New Zealand. He did not believe that there was, a man in the country who would like this to bo said. There were men wqo believed .that a great danger was imminent, and that it was worth while to do a little towards the protectioh of the future of what was regarded as the white race—the Maoris and the white people of New Zealand.

Tha British Navy. To establish a New Zealand navy was financially impracticable for a country of a million -people..r EveVy vessel 'in the British Navy was at.the service of New Zealand in time .of trouble, and we were doing very .little for its support. ..Everyone desired that peace should be perpetuated. arid in another generation the spread of education might bring this about. In the meantime, to preserve the peace of tho world (and the Empire), tlie British nation must lead in armament and navy. The question of defence was above party, and he appealed to the people to give the present defence scheme a fair trial. Only 30,000 men were required under the system in operation. None of them vidnf over twciftWoifc fefirs of ago, except the members of the old volunteer companies, who had beeip transferred to the Territorials. “Give the system a year or two of trial,” concluded tho Premier, “and then the system can be reviewed and anomalies gud, incongruities removed. Political p'lrty passions should not he introduced.” A vote of thanks and confidence was accorded to the speaker.