The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1910. AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2742, 22 February 1910, Page 4

The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1910. AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE.

No one who lias seriously considereU the (position of Australia will be surprised that Lord Kitchener should havo told qur neighbors across the Tasman Sea that they need a land force of 80,001) men to place themselves on a satisfactory footing as regards defence. At the present time the people of the Commonwealth, like ourselves, are absolutely dependent for their independence and freedom of life upon the continued supremacy of the British navy. Were that to fail, anything might happen to Australia or New Zealand. For some time Australian politicians have realised that something really will have to ho dune to rescue the vast territory from its almost defenceless condition, but party jealousies .prevented any decision of a practical nature being arrived at. Ultimately the coalition between the Deakin and Cock elements provided a combination strong enough to give effect to its wishes, the result being that a scheme for compulsory universal training was adopted. Prior to its being brought into execution, Lord Kitchener has opportunely arrived on the scene, and his advice will be invaluable in enabling the Commonwealth to lay the foundation of its defence scheme on thoroughly sound lines. As might .have been expected, a soldier of . Lord Kitchener’s methods and temperament has in no way minced words in issuing his report. He tells the Australians that they have excellent material available for defence, but that the present forces are inadequate as regards training, organisation and munitions, whilst the .want of population is in itself a danger. This last is, of course, a question for the Immigration Department, and it once more emphasises the fact that Australia has never yet succeeded in directing towards its shores a reasonably large proportion of the surplus population of the Old World. Another grave defect which has- been pointed out by the visitor is the fact that the construction of the railway lines, .whilst developing the country, has resulted in lines more favorable to the enemy than to the defenders. The hint that military affairs should he kept free from political influence is timely, and we shall not he suiiprised to find it repeated with added emphasis when the great Field-Marshal issues his report on New Zealand defences. It is common knowledge that for many years the money spent locally has been virtually thrown away, and that our volunteer system has been irretrievably ruined .by the baneful shadow of political partisanship. Lord Kitchener estimates that an expenditure of £1,742,000 per year will he necessary . to ensure the. reasonable safety of Australia against foreign invasion. This is practically the same amount as the Federal Parliament had actually agreed to spend, but in some important respects Lord Kitchener departs from the scheme that had already been drawn up. He evidently does not believe in placing too much r eh a nee

upon cadet training, and considers that youths between 18 and X 9 years of age should be classed for training, purposes as recruits. This would seem to necessitate the raising of the age of persons from whom, the new forces are to be drawn, and is in accordance with the views of those who believed that the Deakin-Cook scheme allowed the. citizens to drop out of active training just at the period in their lives when it would !be most effective. However, Mr. Deakin has lost no time in announcing his complete endorsement of Lord Kitchener’s report, a step which will in all probability greatly; strengthen the •hands of the coalition Government at the approaching elections. Will our Prime Minister have equal courage? It is (practically certain that Lord Kitchener will criticise very severely the deplorable condition of our defence force, iand it - is by no means as sure that he will be satisfied, with the proposals that a laggard Government lias at last brought forward. However, this is a matter concerning which we must defer further conjecture, merely expressing the hope that the Government will not hesitate to give its cordial endorsement of the advice tendered by the eminent officer who is now devoting his high military talents to the investigation of our position in regard to defence. As Lord Kitchener broadly hinted to the Australians, it is quite conceivable that, without being defeated, the British navy might he so closely occupied in defending its position in the North Sea or the Mediterranean that in the Pacific it might be temporarily inferior to the enemy. In view of such a possibility, he points out that it is the duty of all the selfgoverning dominions to provide a military force adequate, not only to deal promptly with an attempt at invasion, hut also to ensure local safety and public confidence until British superiority at sea is decisively and comprehensively asserted. This is a matter too important to be played with by party politicians, and we trust that it will shortly be dealt Avith in a truly national spirit.