The Timaru Herald. SATURDAY, MARCH 12, 1910. THE DEFENCE QUESTION.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 14153, 12 March 1910, Page 4

The Timaru Herald. SATURDAY, MARCH 12, 1910. THE DEFENCE QUESTION.

In our supplementary sheet to-day will be found the greater portion of Field Marshal Ivitchoner's report and ro:v: inundations to the Government of the Australian Commonwealth. which he lias handed to the Minister of Defence lor New Zealand, as embodying his recommendations for this country also. It will be observed that he recommends the division of the populous parts of Australia into "areas," each of which

is to turnisli a "'quota" of men. He recommends also (in a covering letter published yesterday) tho division of New Zealand into oo ;t areas 13 in the

sair.o manner. and this is the onlyspecific recommendation that he has made for New Zealand, except those re:erriii!f to the training of officers at the Australian West Point.'' An Auckland officer of experience has re-

marked. tl:o information given is very bald,* 1 and be thinks That there must also bj a confidential report which is probably being considered by the Defence Conference in "Wellington at the present time, the O.C.s being now engaged in framing regulations nndex* the Deience Act. Xo hint of the existence of such a confidential report has bec-ii officially given. though Sir Joseph Y\ ard lias mentioned that there is a confidential report on harbour defences. IVrusal of the report in other columns will show that very important details have been lc-it to the local authorities to decide. Among these aro the nature and the amount of "home training" the recruits and training soldiers are to receive. The time to be spent in camp is specified, and eight "days" in addition: but both '"camp" and "days' 1 are "over and above" the home training, which is to "take place all the year round in the vicinity of the men's home?.'' This gives no measure of the tax upon the time of the trainees or upon the industries, of the country. The Field Marshal's recommendations differ so widely from the Defence Act, that one or other will have to be laid aside. Mr Massey, whose opinion will have weight in Parliament, when it comes to making choice between them, says the country cannot afford to extend the period of training from the 21st to the 2otii year, oti account of the cost and the dislocation cf industries that tho extension must cause. For both theso •ensons, and especially the latter, the scheme must be very carefully considered, and still more carefully, as we remarked yesterday, because it is a departure from tho plan of universal ■ training that underlies and ensured the passing of the Defence Act. Perhaps the best tiling to be done is to dovetail Lord Kitchener's recommendations into the Defence Act, as far as they will .'it the fundamental principle of the Act. the training of all males up to the age i of 21, with muster parades thereafter. ; and adopting, as extremely valuable, his idea of introducing the spirit, of emulation between areas. The \ oh:nteers liavo this now to some extent, but in shooting and in squad c-ompe- ; titions only. Lord evidently means that the emulation shall cover not only every practical kind of work, but the soirit in winch thi» work is done, and the spirit in which tlio inhabitants of an area look upon tho work and theso who are engaged in it. The "Xew Zealand Times," the Go- ] vernmc-nt orjran in AYellington, we ob- ; serve, assumes that the training n<-e i will not be extended, and says thit i tTipfe omi'W. 90.000 available fnr i t.rr. : rr'u~ rt IP and •?!. lit does net signify wliat the numb or

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