The Timaru Herald SATURDAY, MARCH 17, 1923. BRITISH ARMS

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, Issue 18069, 17 March 1923, Page 8

The Timaru Herald SATURDAY, MARCH 17, 1923. BRITISH ARMS

The Under-Secretary of State for War (tlie Hon. Walter Guinness; in a speech in the House of Commons when the Army Estimates were under discussion, urged that no further reductions in lintain s armaments should be made. Any further drop, he considered, would bring the Army below the danger lino, and would leave Britain in as bad a position as was I he c; so in 1914. The- Empire realises at the present time, that, although ono or two nations are genuinely anxious for reduction _ of armaments, the calls of Mars are especially loud in Europe, and, where reductions were promised, increases have resulted. Prance to-day possesses a most formidable army, Russia, too, has lied, troops who are splendidly trained and well equipped; Japan has an army much larger than that of Great Britain. Any futther drastic cuts in Britain’s forces would be extremely dangerous; indeed, many sections considered that the post-war disbanding of many famous regiments, regiments v ho had fought in the decisive battles nf Cm, 1 <Hh ep.nturv. was 'davim?

in to the hands of watching’, militaristic, nations. In New Zealand, compulsory service gives us at once a citizen army for defence purposes. Our Territorial system trains infantrymen, gunners, engineers, mounted infantry, and. indeed, every branch of the army, with the exception of tank troops and aviators. At Home, things are different, That can be gauged by the statement by Mr Guinness that there is an exodus of shortservice men, and such a shortage of reserves as to make the position worse than in 1914. It stands to reason that if there is a great decrease in the number of troops in the service of a country, the reserves cannot increase._ Despite the excellence of recruiting at Home, the limited numbers of the Army, apparently, are seriously threatening the efficiency of Britain’s , fighting forces. One other serious aspect is the shortage of cadets for Sandhurst; but in one way,”the reason for that is clear. It will be remembered that Hew Zealand cadets who went to Duntroon Military

College in Australia, after the War, were not kept faith with by the Government at the height, of the defence reduction frenzy. Men of 23 and 24, commissioned, were thrown on the country with i nothing but a professional military education to keep them, after having contracted for 12 years with the Government in order to he assured of commissions in the , New Zealand Staff Corps. Evi- } dently the same thing has been • happening in England. Other , nations have not applied the I “cut” in so drastic a manner I They have been sure of maintainI ing an adecprate army; and for the mil century, to be adequate, j an army has to he considerable! It is no use Mr Wedgewood saving that the Labour Early wants another Disarmament Conference. What Britain wants, at the present time, is a compulsory defence scheme such as that in New Zealand, which would do away at once with militia, yeomanry, and the British territorial system. Many soap box pacificists will yowl that we are looking for another war ; and that no poor man should he forced to bear arms for his country. Well, 1923, has learnt what 1921 and the Washington Conference failed to realise: that a nation without adequate defence cannot be saved by all the conscientious objectors and Peace Conferences in the world. War to-day is scientific, defence is even more scientific; and that nation—such a one as Britain, for instance—which can produce a scientifically equipped army, modern aeroplanes, tanks, and other wonders, con remain long at peace. It is the old story of the burglar who can rob the house when tlie master is away, but fears to enter it when there is a man about the place.’