NATIONAL DEFENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 August 1930, Page 8

NATIONAL DEFENCE.

In his address to the officers of the Taranaki Regiment last Saturday Lieu-tenant-Colonel L. 11. Jardine made an observation that jo worth consideration by all who regard the suspension of universal military training as a retrograde policy. AVhile expressing sympathy with the officers of the regiment who saw taken from it the material they were to train, by means of which the history and traditions of the regiment would be carried on, Colonel Jardine reminded his hearers that whether the suspension of training were permanent or temporary would depend very largely upon the efforts of those who believe that the young men of the country should be taught how to defend it. In other words, if universal training is to be restored those who believe in it must stimulate public opinion rn that direction. As Colonel Jardine pointed out, it was not the compulsory nature of the training that was its strong point. As a matter of fact to 90 per cent, of the Territorials there was no feeling of compulsion uppermost. They recognised it was a man’s duty to prepare to defend his country if the need arose and were more than ready to undergo the necessary training. That is the spirit that it is necessary to preserve if a national system of defence training is to be resumed. And there is no doubt that those who desire that resumption will have to work, and work hard, to bring it about. When times are hard it is expenditure upon what can only be indirect public benefit that is the easiest of all to cut down. The process is more or less spectacular, and when to this is added the knowledge that it is certain to please a certain section of the community, which objects to compulsory military training, the temptation to abandon the system altogether is obvious. To prevent the Alinistry from succumbing to that temptation means the creation of public opinion that -will insist upon training, and the only people who can create it are those who have sufficient belief in the system to convince the taxpayer that they are right. After all the present and future trainees will be also the electors and future electors of the Dominion, and if regiment by regiment they are convinced of the need, for a compulsory training system they will have the power to bring it back. It is no use' wasting energy in mere; fulmination against the Government. Hard work and sound argument are es- ' sential if the views of supporters of training are to have effect.