DEFENCE AND ECONOMY.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 July 1930, Page 8

DEFENCE AND ECONOMY.

The alleged intention of the Government to suspend territorial and cadet training for a. year is meeting with considerable criticism, for supporters of the present system maintain that if suspension is allowed the abolition of the territorial force is almost ccitain to follow. If the details of the proposed scheme have been correctly stated the criticism can be well understood, but it would seem only to lair to await an official statement by the Ministry before taking it to task. It has to be remembered that any Government in office in New Zealand to-day must make economy its guiding principle of administration, In reducing expenditure there are bound to be disappointments, and even eases of actual hardship will be hard to prevent. Allowing for this, the fitness or not of the Ministry for its duties will be demonstrated in the manner in which its economy measures are to apply. If money is saved at the expense of the country’s safety or honour it is no true economy, .and it is for the Cabinet to convince the Dominion that it will do nothing to imperil either. The value of the territorial system has been greater than that of affording training in military’ exercises. Had that been all its abolition or suspension might be viewed more calmly. But many who hate war as ardently as the most blatant pacifist are convinced that training for the defence of their country, if need be, has been of the utmost service to the young men of this country. It lias given them a broader view of citizenship, it has shown them the . value or rather the necessity of discipline in team work, and it has profitably filled hours that might otherwise have been wasted. On the part of the territorial officers there has been a keenness and readiness to sacrifice time and money for the benefit of their units that has been most commendable, and if the method of terminating their services is to be as lias been asserted, a more tactless handling of a difficult situation can scarcely be imagined. Its uncouthness makes it almost unbelievable, and judgment must be suspended until an authoritative statement is made by the Ministry. There should be no delay in. making clear the position the Government is taking in this matter. It is not, a matter for parliamentary bargaining or for action by “Order-in-Council.” There is an uncomfortable feeling abroad that the United Party may be in office, but that Labour is in real control. The handling of the defence system will be regarded by many as an judication whether this surmise is correct or not.