AUSTRALIA'S ARMY.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14978, 21 May 1914, Page 7

AUSTRALIA'S ARMY.

ITS FITNESS FOB ACTIVE

SEBTICE

SIR lAX HAMILTON'S REPORT.

(By Ca&le. —Press Association.—Copjtight.) (Received May 20th. 9.15 p.m.)

SYDNEY, May 20. Sir lan Hamilton's rei>ort on the military forces of the Commonwealth has been published.

"The report lays it down that the actual strength of a State consists of its aggregate strikine; power, ite armies and fleets, which should bo as interdependent as the forefinger acd the thumb.

Genoral Hamilton declares that in a militia there is no room for a peace system divorced from war , requirements, therefore, during peace, the military services should bo organised under war conditions.

After remarking that Australia's attention, so far, has been necessarily concentrated training, ho declares that now the time is almost ripe for consolidating the existing forces into a carefully planned instrument of war.

Sir lan condemns the centralisation of the Defence Department at Melbourne, adding that, actually, the Australian system, as it exists to-day, is purely a product of peace procedure, which coiild not hope to carry on be.tumd thft first few weeks of war.

Hβ advocates tho separation of the business administration from tho purplv military, but concludes that on the whole, the Regulars and three-fourths of the Militia are .sufficiently trained to partake in a modern battle.

SuDtKJsinc: that such an oocaeion arose the day after to-morrow, with two weeks' warning, the- remaining fourth of the Militia, plus some twenty thou» sand of tho flower of tho Riflo Clubs, would be available as reinforcements. Sir lav Hamilton adds:— "I mean that a large proportion of the forcos have not only the willing spirit, but the actual technical skill to enable one man to handle them in action. But how would they fare on tho battlefield? Giving dub weight to tho moral factor that they would be fighting for a country well worth defending, and of which they had local knowledge, thoy wonkl need to be in a majority of at least two to one to fight a pitched battle with picked troops from overseas on equal terms."

The comparative lack of discipline and cohesion, which showed up strongly whore large forces were involved, are General Hamilton's reasons for allowinc so larire a margin of superiority to tho invading forces.