The Timaru Herald. FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 1910. LORD KITCHENER'S REPORT.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 14152, 11 March 1910, Page 4

The Timaru Herald. FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 1910. LORD KITCHENER'S REPORT.

Viscount Kitchener has merely sup- * plied to the Governnieni of Xew Zealand a copy of his report to the Ci.-n----monwealtii G'orernment on inter:.a; Defence, and sa.id, in effect: ■• Yoiir circumstances and your requirements, are vary mucli the same as those of Aus- : tralia. Apply the principles 1 have . hud down, somewhat in the same manner as I havo recommended :<>r Aus- ' tralia, and that will serve." The fact ; that he has -done this must cause a good deal of disappointment, because the circumstances and the roc|Ulren,mts of Australia and of Xew Zealand =:;-. by 11:1 means the same. Australia is a land of - e-n'h.vr.t distan-es and f■■-.-.-P'-r:... while <c.- l : : -:-t:,-n in Now Z* .- hind clings Very much to the o nstHnes. and has a comparatively ]ai\;e. number of entrance doors. The principal of these are of courss dealt with in thrt fcn!idenr : :il part of the report: the practical is=ue cf his recom- : mrndiuiens on this le-ad will not be known u:r : l they have been realised. Sir Joseph Ward's idea that an a-ipro-proximaticn to the amplication of the .Vustralivn rop-.rt to Xew Ze: land may .■jo had by dividim; the Australian iiumbers by tour, is teo n.uvh-a-id-ready: *:vl if this ]ir..p'irticn is taken for men and arms, the cost must be -renter for the smaller number. Worse than this however, is the. fact that the scheme d-rs not mean universal training. There mu.r be at least oUOOO males in Xew Zealand between Id and 56, the ei-ht traininf: years, for at the census of 15)06 there were 10.j,O"!0 01 both ' sexes of 15 to 21 years of aire ('seven : years l . One-fourth of the Australian force. 20/.10 £„ r v„, v Zealand, means that not half of those trainable (after making all allowances contemplated by the report) will receive the persona! benefit of military training or thereby ■St themselves to hf Ip to maintain the independence of their country. Sir , .Jasey-h Ward's acceptance of this view j of the matter must be attributed to him as Minister of Finance ratlien than ■ as Minister of Defence. Lord Kitchener says: "The fores must be an integral portion of the. national life. The citizen should'be brought up from boyhood to look forward ti the dc.v when he will he enrolled as fit to defend his country, and he slruilu be accus- : tomed to practise those habits of selfdenial, of dc-.-otii-.n to. and emulation in, the c::c; r iri of his duty, of reticence and or aipt <buiience to lawful authority which are essential to the [ formation of patri.-tic and efficient I added —"or of patriotic and efficient ! citi:c^ns." : ; Pat the ferae which em-

bracks ci'y half the male prp-.nation will n<:i 1, 3 felt tf. be an intl-gnil portion cf the nati-mul life: the boy. the future citizen. will not look forward to the cloy when he will be enrolled as fit to defend his country, when the process of fitting him loaves his mate at liberty to play football in winter, and cricket in summer, while the citizen soldier must submit to training and discipline without par. except for a few days in camp. Lord Kitchener definitely says that the State " should get the best men available. 7 ' and therefore "should restrict the selection of annual quotas to those males who are ijhysically the fittest of their yean and therefore most eligible for the honour of serving their country.'' This will he terribly disappointing to those who have been advocating ■universal service, as a duty rather than as an honour, and for the henefit that accrues to the community through the military training of its individuals.