THE DEFENSE SCHEME.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3373, 13 November 1911, Page 5

THE DEFENSE SCHEME.

THE PREMIER SPEAKS OUT.

* ABOVE PARTY PASSION.

DREADNOUGHT GIFT DEFENDED.

(Per Press Association.) INVERCARGILL, Nov. 10

Sir J. Ward' went to Bluff on Saturday, and there received a cordial reception from tlie mayor and. citizens. Mrs Nichol (wife of the Mayor) presented a boquet to Lady'Ward, and during the afternoon the ladies of Bluff gave a reception to Lady Ward. In the evening the Premier addressed about 700 people. The Mayor presided. Most of Sir J. Ward’s speech ©overeel old ground, but;on the question of defence he touched new matter. He contradicted the statement that the Defence Department was compelling boys and cadets to go into oamip» with men. Tliis was worse than untrue, because the Opposition knew that under the territorial system cadets were not under the jurisdiction of the Defence Department, but controlled by the Education authorities, and their own: teach- , ers were their officers. It had also been said that tlie senior cadets (15 years to 18) should not .be allowed* to go into camp with men. The proposal to have boys go into camp was -not con- r templated by the Bill. These state l - ■ rnents were a colored attempt to snatch, j votes from the mothers of boys. In j declaring against the boys goings into’ j camp, they were saying that the "Prime Minister should prevent something,that j he nevqy proposed should be done. The- ‘ defence system should be supported)) by j every member of the Opposition and by i the Trades and labor Councils; Why had no member of the Opposition pute , Kslied not a line in support of it? Because they believed that a small ) section of the community was against it. ) It was a question, he said, which should! ! bo placecl above party tactics,- and! . wherever he went he would call atterr- : tion to the men who were sheltering; , under cover of prearranged silence. i Referring to the Dreadnought the , Premier spoke of Mr Massey’s assertions concerning the autocratic nature • of liis (the Premier’s) doings. There were 60 to 70 Opposition candidates say- ! mg at present that he ought to be put out of office on account of his acting - regarding the Dreadnought. He had' consulted Parliament and his colleagues and the presentation of the Dreadnought had. been made subject l to rati--fication by Parliament. The Opposi- ; tion now stated that they objected te the- way in which the proposal had been made, and that the honor and prestige of the country would have been jeopardised if they had voted against it. He , declared that every member of Parliament could have voted against the proposal (without loss of prestige.of thecountry) had he so desired, because he had left the way open. Members of the Opposition had voted for the proposal' because in their own minds they knew what a grand thing it was for the country and for the Empire, and wanted to have a share in the cudos of passing it: If the- proposal had not been mode Mil Parliament sat the effect would, have been lost. Being' made when _it was it caused other nations to realise that for the first time in the history of Great* Britain the Dominions beyond the seas were-knit firmly with the Motherland. He reminded the workers that the Labor Government of Australia had established universal military training, and decided to build a fleet of its own. An expert had estimated that the capital cost of the navy would be twenty orthirty millions, and internal defence should cost two millions a year. If the Labor Government of Australia, had’ done that, ought not New Zealand' be willing to pay £400.000 a year for internal defence and £150,000 a year for-, naval' defence ? By reason of tlie greater number of harbors the coast line of 1 New Zealand was more vulnerable than- ! that of Australia. The Premier wont 1 on to speak of the proximity of Austra- | lia and New Zealand to China- and Jit- 1 pan, and drew attention to the dan- ; ger of “Tlie Yellow Peril.” The Pact- ; fie squadron had been recalled to Homewaters, and the shadow of a great- co- 1 lored nation was looming over our coun- , try, and if we were not reasonablyequipped within our _ own borders, .and' had not the protection of the BritishNavy we would find ourselves at tlie. mercy of China, which had been equipped during the last terr years, and' wasexpected by the authorities to he within the next ten years even greater than Japan. Would anyone contend that if China were as well equipped as Japan there was uo danger to New Zealand'? It was the bounden duty of every marr in j the Dominion to be as well trained as I the trained men who were likely, to | come and attempt te take the country from us. To-day in New Zealand'there was the purest race in the world. This was admitted, and was owing- to- the strict laws that were in force with- regard to immigration of aliens. Would they have it said that in the event of trouble arising ten men in tile street would volunteer for active service, while twenty men in the same street would refuse te do anything of the kind. This would mean that' the brand of a coward' would be stamped on tlie foreheads ot tho people of r New Zealand. He did not believe that tjiei’e was a man in the country- who would like this to be said. There were men who believed that a great danger' was imminent, and that it was worth while to do a little towards protection of the future. To establish a- New Zealand navy was financially impracticable for a country of a million- people. Every vessel’ in the British Navy was at the service of New Zealand'in time of trouble, and we were doing very little for its support. Everyone desired that peace should be perpetuated, and in* another generation tlie spread of education might bring-this about. In the meantime to preserve the peace- of the world (and the Empire) tlie British nation must lead in armaments and navy. The question of defence was above party, and ho appealed to the people to give the present defence scheme a fair trial. Only 30',C00 men were required under the system- in operation. None of them were over 21 years of age, except the members of the old volunteer companies, who had been transferred to the territorials. Give the system a year or two of trial and then the system could bo. reviewed and anomalies and incongruities removed. Political party passion should not he introduced. A vote of thanks and confidence was accorded the speaker.