The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. FRIDAY. FEBRUARY 14, 1908. TO DEFEND OUR COUNTRY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2115, 14 February 1908, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. FRIDAY. FEBRUARY 14, 1908. TO DEFEND OUR COUNTRY.

Sir Joseph Ward struck an admirable- note in his speech at Paeroa. when ho pointed out that though the British navy was our first line of defence, it was not our last defence, adding that if

■it were swept away, every man in the Dominion would light on to defend his country. There is no question but that in the event of a foreign invader gaining a footing in New Zealand, he would be -faced by a people who would, to a man, fight to the last ditch for their country. What the Premier should, however, have emphasised, is that valour alone is not sufficient to win battles, 'but that some measure of training is necessary if our potential strength for defence -purposes is to be available. In case of an attack at the present time, we could probably rely upon about 300,QU0 youths and men being able and willing to shed their last drop of blood an the defence of their women folk, children, 'and homes, but- of that number not one in ten could be of much real.service to his country in a sudden emergency. An intelligent man can learn -to handle a rifle and become a passable shot in a very short time, and even ten days or a fortnight under a curable instructor will tit him to take his part in elementary military movements, but war attacks are invariably surprise visits, and make no allownace whatever for the unprepared citizen.

At such m time lie would probably give almost any money, or undergo any sacrifice, for'the ten day* training that would have made him an olleecive unit in the doloneo ol his country, but lie would simply have to stand aside and leave this great duty to tho care of a Jinndtuf ol voluutool’s. Wo do not b olive in con scrip-

tioii in the ordinary sense, but wo do believe that it is Hie duty of every allied bodied man in -the Dominion to make himself ready to take his part in the defence ol his country,

should the necessity ever arise. Iho Boer avar (provided ail object lesson to the world, of what a numerically small poulation, filled with putriot-ir-nn, and able to shoot, can do to keep out a powerful foe, and tiheio is every reason to believe that New Zealanders would worthily uphold tilie finest traditions ol the British peo-

ple, if they were ever called upon to defend their country. Sir Joseph AY anl was quite right in emphasising that our citizens are our Fist lino of defence, hut lie should have gone a step further, and pointed out the absolute necessity lor .some system of universal military training, to make

that defence «s effective as possible. He showed clearly enough that whatever our -hones may be, it is within the bounds of •possibility that the British navy may some day be 'beaten. and itlnat on that day we must relv upon ourselves. As head ol out public affairs, it is Ills duty to go further, and give tin' people a straightout lead oil 'tho vital question of national defence. At present we are dependent upon less Ilian 2l),U00 volunteers, anil even this small number is insufficiently supplied with guns

-and -ammunition. Until there i» i rifle in the country for every able bodied citizen, -and all have beet taught to shoot, we have a very pool insurance against the awlul ihorion

of war and a foreign invasion, there

is no call for -purely alarmist -utterances, but because -there is peace amongst the great Rowers to-day, that is no guarantee that war may not break out to-morrow. AA'e must assume the possibility of having to light lor the right to continue in possession o'f this glorious land; if not, why have a voluteer force at all ? Should the war alarm ring out announcing an attack at one or our ports, our military leaders would have to organiso the. people, and with the exception of a little hand of volunteers, would find themselves at the head of an army with neither i-illos nor ammunition, devoid of the most primitive knowledge of military matters, their only .qualifications being bravery, intelligence, and patriotism. It needs no imagination to depict the result of a conflict between such a force and a small body ol trained soldiers.