CO885-8 — Page 6

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PUBLE RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

C.O. 885

8

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

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in New Zealand, which would be a matter for regret, seeing that the officers and men of the returned contingents in New Zealand would form the nucleus of the said Imperial Reserve.

The Premier has gone fully into the matter, and is afraid that if the Memorandum is allowed to go as it now stands it would lead to an incorrect inference being formed. The main point seems to him to have been overlooked, viz., that at the commencement If these are agreed the limits within which the officers should serve should be fixed. upon, the financial difficulty is solved.

It seems to him that no good purpose will be served by not speaking plainly on this subject. No Imperial Reserve can be formed within the Colony to be put on the same footing as the reserves of the Regular Army at home and for service anywhere within the Empire. It is by fixing the limits within which they may be called upon to serve, and having same defined beforehand, that the response and enrolment of officers and men would be obtained.

The Premier of New Zealand therefore desires that the Memorandum should be extended so as to embrace the points mentioned in this communication.

Enclosed herewith is a copy of the Premier's Statement of the Defences of New Zealand referred to in the first part of this Memorandum.

R. J. SEDDON,

Prime Minister of New Zealand,

With reference to the next to the last paragraph of the Memorandum of the Secretary of State for War the subjoined note has been received from the Prime Minister of Natal.

1

Hotel Cecil.

7th August 1902. The Memorandum correctly reflects the results of the conversation which Mr. Brodrick and Sir W. Nicholson had with Mr. Fuller and myself, except in regard to the next to the last paragraph, which, so far as the Cape and Natal are concerned, should read as follows:-

"The possibility of affiliating the Colonial units, rendered available for Imperial service, to regiments of the Regular Army was mentioned, as being likely to render service in such units more popular. No decision was arrived at, as it was thought desirable to ascertain the feeling of the Colonies on this subject."

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APPENDIX VII.

Memorandum by the Canadian Ministers concerning

Defence.

The Canadian Ministers regret that they have been unable to assent to the suggestions made by Lord Selborne respecting the Navy and by Mr. St. John Brodrick respecting the Army. The Ministers desire to point out that their objections arise, not so much from the expense involved, as from a belief that the acceptance of the proposals would entail an important departure from the principle of Colonial self-government. Canada values highly the measure of local independence which has been granted it from time to time by the. Imperial Authorities, and which has been so productive of beneficial results, both as respects the material progress of the country and the strengthening of But while, for these reasons, the the ties that bind it to the Mother-land. Canadian Ministers are obliged to withhold their assent to the propositions of the Admiralty and the War Office, they fully appreciate the duty of the Dominion, as it advances in population and wealth, to make more liberal outlay for those necessary preparations of self-defence which every country has to assume and bear.

That the taxpayers of the United Kingdom should desire to be relieved of some of the burdens which they bear in connection with military expenditure is quite reasonable. Canada in the development of its own militia system will be found ready to respond to that desire by taking upon itself some of the services in the Dominion which have hitherto been borne by the Imperial Governinent. What has already been done by Canada must give assurance of the disposition of the Canadian people to recognize their proper obligations.

In the early years of the Dominion an understanding was come to between the Imperial and Canadian Governments that Canada should expend about From time to time that 1,000,000 dols. annually on her militia system. expenditure has been voluntarily increased, and at present, apart from the special outlay in connection with the maintenance of the garrison at Halifax, the Dominion is expending about 2,000,000 dols. annually on her militia.

The efficiency of the Canadian Militia Service having been called in question, it may be of interest to note that many improvements have been made during the past few years; notably the organization of an Army Medical Corps and the creation of an Army Service Corps, the strengthening of the headquarters and district staffs, the exercise of greater care in the selection of permanent force officers, and the affording of greater facilities for the training of the officers of the active militia.

A Militia Pension Law has been enacted for the staff and the permanent force. Annual drill in camps of instruction for the rural corps, and at battalion headquarters for city corps, has been carried out each year during the past six years. A school of musketry has been established at Ottawa, with most encouraging results; rifle-ranges have been and are being constructed at the public oxpense at important centres all over the Dominion, and financial aid is being afforded to local corps in smaller places for the same object. Rifle Associations, whose members are pledged to military service, if required, are being organized, and their formation encouraged by the loan of rifles and by grants of free ammunition. A reserve of officers has been established, and improvements have also been made in several other important respects.

The work done by the Militia Department in sending contingents to South Africa may be fairly cited as proof of reasonable efficiency. Without referring to anything which was done outside of the purely Canadian contingents, it is worthy of mention that the first contingent, under Colonel Otter, composed of 1,000 men drawn from every section of Canada embraced within 4,000 miles of territory lying between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, was organized, fully equipped, and embarked within a period of 14 days; and that a second contingent, composed of 1,200 men, composed of Field Artillery and Mounted Rifles, was shortly afterwards similarly organized, equipped, and embarked within the space of three weeks.

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