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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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TLC.O. 885

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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The chief reason I think that was given, Lord Selborne will correct rae if am wrong, was the enormous preponderance of the native population in our respective Colonies which necessitated our keeping up a large force, and rendered it undesirable that that force should be taken away, as its absence might be taken advantage of by those large native populations. I would refer par- ticularly to my own Colony, Natal, where we have an European population of from 60,000 to 70,000, all told, and a native population-I include the recently added territories, Sir-of about one million. It must be evident to the Secre- tary of State for War and to yourself, that with such an enormous native population we must be prepared at any time for emergencies in our own Colony; but, at the same time. Sir, I am glad to say that we have a thoroughly efficient force of both Police and Volunteers, and that force is trained very highly trained and would be available for servico ou an emergency even outside the Colony. Our volunteer law provides that our Volunteers shall be available for servico within or without the Colony, and during the last war, Sir, they were most anxious to serve outside the Colouy; they clamonred to be taken forward when the troops advanced outside our Colony, and a great many of them were employed outside Natal. To show the efficiency of the Volunteer force, Sir, I think I might be allowed to say that within forty-eight hours of the time when they got the order to mobilise they were all in their places, most of them We in Ladysmith, having been collected from all parts of the Colony. have, Sir, in Natal, the annual training, which is required to keep men in a We proper state of efficiency; but we have also regular monthly drills. have two batteries of Artillery-at least, I hope we have by this time, Sir; we had the second in course of formation when I left: we have 2,000 Volunteers, nearly all mounted, thoroughly well-armed and equipped, and our police force, which are the permanent force, Sir, has now been increased to about 1,000 men, in order to take charge of the new territories and police those territories. We have recently appointed to be our Commandant of Volunteers, Colonel Leader, a well-known officer, who has served through this last war, and he may be relied on, I think, to keep our Volunteers in a high state of efficiency. We have our Medical corps, our Veterinary corps. our Ambulance corps, and the necessary transport arrangements, so that at any time our Volunteers can be mobilised at very short notice indeed. I believe myself that although we do not think it desirable, for the reasons which I have already given, to pledge ourselves to keep up a permanent force or to keep up a reserve force for service outside the Colony, the greater portion of our Volunteers, and, if necessary the whole of our Police would be really for service in any part of His Majesty's Dominions if the emergency should arise.

Phave said that I consider these men are highly trained, and are fit for service along side and to be brigaded with His Majesty's troops, and they have so proved themselves. With regard to arms and ammunition, Sir, our desire is to assimilate them in every possible way to the service weapon and the service ammunition of the British Army, and we are now waiting simply for the pattern to be determined upon of that service weapon in the British Army. I think it has not yet been decided upon. The Seerotary of State for War will tell me if I am wrong, but I understand there is a much shorter wespon now being considered for issue to the Imperial troops. As soon as the weapon has been decided upon we shall arm our Volunteers and Police with the same weapon. When confederation comes, when our various Colonies in South Africa are confederated, then, I think Sir, will be the time to consider whether we cannot have the permanent reserve force available, so that the Imperial Government can lay its hand upon that force and use it for service in any part of the Empire, and that they shall know what the strength of that force will be. At present, Sir, we are so, many individual units separated by different kinds and descriptions of government, it is im- possible to come to anything like united action, but if in the near future, as I hope will be the case, we get confederation, then, Sir, I do think that we might provide for a permanent reserve force, ready for service in any part of His Majesty's Dominions at any time if called upon. I would like to say, Sir, with regard to our Volunteers, in order to keep them efficient, our mounted men, all of them, get 101. a year for

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the purpose of keeping their horses. The long service men. that is the men after three years in the Volunteer service, get 31. a year extra. They all get 68. a day when they are called out for annual training or any kind of service; if kept in the field for more than 60 days at a time they get 98. a day -the ordinary mounted troopers. Our expenditure is very heavy indeed, and we do not grudge that expenditure because we want to keep our Volunteers and our Police in the highest possible state of efficiency, so that they may be ready at any time.

I would like to add, Sir, that we encourage in every possible way the use of the rifle. We have our Cadet Corps, which is a very good training indeed for the future volunteers of the Colony. We have a Cadet Corps in all the schools. The boys who enter our Cadet Corps in all the Government Schools of the Colony get grants also each efficient cadet. We have rifle associations, which are supported by grants from the Government also, and recently, Sir, it may be within your knowledge, we have passed a Bill confirming the principle of compulsory service for every male between the ages of 18 and 55. That has passed a second reading and will be brought in again, Sir, in a more complete form to be passed into law at the next general session of the Legislative Assembly. I think, Sir, I have told you the reasons why it is impossible for us to give the pledge that has been suggested by the Secretary of State for War, at the same time I feel certain that you may rely upon the Colony of Natal, and I believe you may also rely on the Cape Colony to render material assistance to the Mother Country in any part of the world if any emergency shoul arise.

Sir ROBERT BOND: Mr. Chamberlain, in the Colony that I represent there has been no attempt, Sir, at anything like military organisation unless the police force may be regarded as a kind of quasi-military force. We have such a force, efficient, as we consider, for local protective purposes, very well skilled in the use of arms. A portion of the force is a mounted force. There are also four rifle brigades, numbering some 560 odd, young men, averaging about 16 years of age. Those rifle corps may possibly form a nucleus for the establishment of a militin force at some later period, but I should like to be entirely frank, Sir. I think that any assistance that the Colony of New- foundland may be able to render in the form of defence service must be in the direction of a naval reserve. The avocations of our people are such that they are scattered over a large extent of coast line, something like 4,000 miles, and you will appreciate, Sir, the great difficulty there would be in bringing a scattered population together for the purposes of drill and organisation.

That would not apply as regards the Naval Reserve, inasmuch as during the period of the year when the fishermen are not engaged in their ordinary avocation they could be brought on for the period of two or three months to a drill ship, and there undergo the necessary training. A few days ago I had the privilege of placing in the hands of Sir John Anderson, a memorandum in relation to the subject of defence. I understand that that paper was forwarded to Lord Selborne, and since then I have had an opportunity of discussing the matter with him. I have also placed myself in com- munication with my colleagues in the Government, and I am in hopes, Sir, of being able to lay before Lord Selborne in a day or two their views as to what may be done by the Colony in connection with further help in the way of Naval Reserve. The fact that our Naval Reserve may be called upon for the purpose of Imperial defence, the knowledge that they may have to leave the Colony, and go to other parts of the Empire, in the defence of the Empire has, I think Sir, been more in the way of an inducement to our people to enter that force thau if they were merely forined for local pro- tective purposes. I say this in response to an observation which was made by Mr. Seddon a few moments ago, in regard to our Naval Reserve, namely, that the knowledge that their services might be called upon in remote parts of the Empire did not deter Newfoundland from entering His Majesty's service. The sentiment in the Colony of Newfoundland is entirely patriotic and British, and I think it has been, I would repeat, an inducement to these young men to join the Naval Reserve force, the knowledge or fact that they may be called upon at any time to aid in the defence of the Empire.

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