HIS VIEWS ON CERTAIN MATTERS.

Colonist, Volume LII, Issue 12738, 9 March 1910, Page 1 (Supplement)

HIS VIEWS ON CERTAIN MATTERS.

A MILITARY COLLEGE IN AUSTRALIA.

NEW ZEALASTDERS TO USE SAME.

MILITARY COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS.

(Special to "The Colonist.")

Christchurch, Feb. 28. ' Writing on Saturday evening, the 'Wellington correspondent of "The Press" states: What- of Lord Kitchener's report? Into the little details and the shortcomings of the manoeuvres he will not enter. That is not his present job. No detail escapes him, but his words are few and far between. It is not his province to criticise but rather to recommend. The people: and the press of New Zealand knew of liis ability befo.re today. Having seen and studied the man at closer quarters, they have absolute confidence in his judgment, and know that what he says should be adopted. There are some who have a haunting fear that we shall not be able to afford the scheme he will recommend! There need be no fear on that account, as Lord Kitchener is pre-eminently a practical man, and he will not seek to impose any undue or unncessary financial strain upon us. This I, was able to gather from an interesting conversation I was privileged to have with him last evening. For instance, <he realises that we in New Zealand cannot yet afford the expense of a Military,, College. Where," then, are we to get our men trained? Most people would at once answer— in England. Not so, our men are to go to the Australian Military College. This may at first be thought to bo a blow to the national pride of the average New Zealander, who lias repelled the advance of Aus•tralia for federation, but in this matter politics must not enter, indeed they must be absolutely barred. Realising this, the New Zealander will upon second thoughts admit that Lord Kitchener's suggestion is an eminently practical one. It will cost us far less to send officers to Australia for training than it. would to send them to England, but there are other reasons for our utilisation of the Australian Military College. Australia and New Zealand are such near neigiiuours, that the sjstcni of defence in the two countries must be the same. To use Juovd Kitcheuer's own words to me, "'God has placed these two countries in such a geographical situation that there must t>e a certain inter-dependence in regard to defence. For instance, any enemy gaining a footing in one country, would be a menace to the other." The Field-Marshal is very strong on the establishment of the Australian Military College, on the West Point lines, and on making it thoroughly up-to-date, so that students after a rigorous course, will make competent officers, and neither politics, nor wealth, nor social position, must enter into the selection of candidates. One other -very excellent idea he has in his mind is the question of scholarships. If such scholarships are provided, the son of the working man, equally with the son of the ricji merchant, or of the wealthy landowner, will have a chance to distinguish himself in the service of his country. In this way tho best talents will be brought to the top and will prevail. It needs no prophet to predict that Lord Kitchener's report on the New Zealand defences, allowing for geographical differences, will in its main essentials be very much on the lines of his Australian report. The FieldMarshal has already said as much about it that New Zealand no doubt will be divided into districts., probably fifty, in the same, way, and each district will furnish a certain number of trained men. The thing cannot be done all in a year, for it will be a matter of gradual evolution. .It will, be ior the Government of New Zealand to put the scheme gradually into force, and in any honest attempt to do so, Sir Joseph Ward will nd doubt have the support of tho Opposition in Parlament, and of all sections of the community. Not from Lord Kitchener, but from another source, I learn that some of the leading Labour men in Australia are quite in accord with the scheme the Field-Marshal has formulated for the defence there, and would even be prepared to go a little further than Lord Kitchener (has gone. The people of New Zealand have such confidence in his .judgment that they will no doubt bo equally emphatic in agreeing to proceed along tho lines that he has recommended, and as Lord Plunket so aptly put in at the Ministerial banquet the other evening, "It"4s"almost equally, as .important that/they; ilhotdd ..'read .between tho lines." ' : A man, in Lord Kitchener's position will -not put everything onpaper. ;^-r „ :V*' .