LORD KITCHENER’S REPORT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2756, 10 March 1910, Page 5

LORD KITCHENER’S REPORT.

NEW ZEALAND ShuULD WORK WITH AUSTRALIA.

AND KEEP DEFENCE OUT OF PARTY POLITICS. fPer Press Association.! —A, March 9. Lord Kitchener’s report upon New Zealand defence is mainly composed of Part 1. of his Australian report, and is accompanied by a covering memorandum, the gist of which is as follows: Lord Kitchener considers there is a necessity for improved training in this country equally as marked as in Australia. He considers that the land forces in New Zealand and Australia should adopt .homogeneous military s\stems, so as to be able to support one another in national danger. He suggests sending cadets, destined to be instructors in New Zealand, to the Australian West Point Military College *-e proposes for New Zealand 55 areas, 30 in the North and '25 in the South Islands, and to provide the same quotas as recommended ior Australia. Permanent instructional officers required for the are; <- work alone would be 55 subalterns ‘and captains and six majors. Thirty, permanent officers le w employed with the permanent forces, ot :.. will also be wanted. Lord Kitchener recommends the eventual establishment for New Zealand of a staff corps of 100 officers, including ten per cent fr.r deputations to train with units in India and United Kingdom, and for sickhess. etc. He suggests sending 10 cadets annually to the Australian College from whom five would be chosen for commissions in tho staff corps. Lord Kitchener emphasises the importance of a high standard of efficiency and defencej and that the matter should be kept outside party nolitics. In the course of an interview on the Field Marshal’s report. Sir Joseph Ward discussed the probable cost to the Dominion of the adoption of the scheme. He estimated it roughly at £170.000 per year by the time it should have been in operation seven years. This included a margin for safety of £25,000. Ho added that the total pro_ vision on this year’s estimates for New Zealand defence was £202,618, besides an additional £150,000 spread over three years. The Prime Minister coneludecf that to put the scheme into full operation would cost New Zealand an additional £25,000 per year at first, and £125,000 per year in seven years’ time beyond what was proposed to be paid under till l system of internal defonoo now in operation. Of this about £IOO,OOO would represent an annual additional cost. Sir Joseph thought the people of New Zealand would agree that, if we were to have an effective system of defence, for New Zealand Lord Kitchener’s report should be accepted as the lines upon which we should go. Ho did not anticipate increased taxation would be necessary to bear the cost of the scheme, and the bringing into force of the full proposals would in any case be gradual. Sir Joseph supported Lord Kitchener’s views as to a. homogeneous military system for New Zealand and Australia as to the military college, and the desirability o-f keeping the whole question outside of party politics. Full details and comparisons of Lord Kitchener’s scheme and the War Office proposals were, ho said., being -prepared for Parliament. Lord Kitchener’s report on harbor defences ho would not disclose, this being confidential.