THE BRITISH ARMV.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 12906, 20 February 1906, Page 5

THE BRITISH ARMV.

EXPLANATION BY LORD ROBERTS. COMPULSORY TRAINING ADVOCATED. United Press Association—Per Electric Telegraph.—Copyright. LONDON", February 18. Lord Roberts, in a letter to the newspapers, explains the object of the policy of the National Service League in proposing that all men of sound' physique should be liable during a certain period of their lives to service in the United Kingdom to case of emergency. He -advocates the compulsory training for three or four months of young men of military age; a'so, the teaching of drill and the use of the rifle in all schools.

Eight Labour members of the House of Commons favour the scheme. As a result of the experiments of the army manoeuvres of 1905 Mr Haldane, Secretary of State for War, has ojdered a supply of bicycles. THE VOLUNTEER MOVEMENT. A Home paper states that recently Lieu-tenant-General Sir Neville Lvtteltoii made an announcement that the Secretary of State for War is not prepared to commit Jimself without further inquiry to all the changes in the conditions of service of the Volunteers proposed by Mr Arao'd-For-ster in his speech at Hanley. It was not

the intention of Air Humane and his military advisers to deal with the Volunteer Army organisation. The Secretary of State *°F ar wa s consequently unable ,to commit himself and the Government to the considerable expenditure involved in his predecessor's proposals until the whole question had been more careiuly studied. The Hanley proposals involved important changes in the capitation grant which 1 are far from having secured general approval, even on the part of the Volunteers themselves. Sir Neville Lyttelton is understood to have expressed his be ief that Mr Haldane desires to carry out certain,.reforms already initiated which will benefit the Auxiliary Forces, but that be is not yet clear that the projected alterations in the capitation grant are ch ciliated to secure this result.- The extremely favourable reception given to Sir Neville Lyttelton's speech appeared to show that the Volunteer officers present at the dinner were of the same mind. To the general, public the question of the merits or demerits of the Hanley proposals will appear of less importance than the • firm position at once taken up by Mr Haldane upon, entering the War Office. The Secretary of State for War appears determined not to be rushed,, nor to._ be led. into any premature action, until time shall have aVowed' him to make a thorough study of the serious problem I which confronts him. It is evidently not his intention to allow tlie interests of the whole to be subordinated to those of a part, or for anything to be said or done in a hurry which may hereafter; prove prejudicial to the development of a larger I scheme of Army reforjn. This statesmanlike view of the situation will appeal to all! those who are prepared to relegate party interests to the background in all matters that concern the security of the State.