AUSTRALIA IN ARMS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 745, 18 February 1910, Page 7

AUSTRALIA IN ARMS.

■ KITCHENER SCHEME.: : -.:'.'w'f 4SI THE STRATEGICAL VALUE OF.. -?: -i? .■..-'.■■■..;-': RAILWAYS. "'-..;■ -'r ■■'.:}\''-:-y^ . : AEMY CORPS AND AMMUNITION' fi^:'^; - .;■■';■;v; factories.,. „•.•■;;^V-v;:;?:.-^ . By Telogranh-Press Asßociatiou-CoDyriitM, '•;.' \- Melbourne, r February,-. 17. The main portion/of. Lord Kitctiener'i -:' : ■•;.".; ':'?:%; report will:be available for. publication ,"iy;W in'a few days. There will bo a confldenv;, ,;v:,|j tial report as well as a document embody. : ,:',."''; ;;- ; ing advice;on the question, of orgdhisa: '~.;,.'1'-. tiOn.: :; ; '.■;. I."':--'' y: :".-'\',.:\ '.;,-;>!::■':. Pj-V'-s} ■■ , Great,lncrease in Cost.,, -'■■■) It is understood the carrying but of tho '■'.. ■ fi- J-.. ;m recommendations will involve a great in«;:'.'-";';; crease in. the military, estimates, ■ .:'and',';';,;-:V-y; some sweeping changes in 'the personnel:";. ; '•;.■■?vii;' While the scheme fits into the neW:''De»'.w H^ fence Act,.so'far as.the main principles.;••/-".-;>-; ire concerned;' some important': amend-;;'v'/^aV imehts have.to be made to give full;effect" •• ''"■•■;^ •It proposes, to "abolish military ;_dis-,.;.:.;, : M tricts; and re-group the militia;and-cbm. ;; ■'; pulsory trained levies after.a plahihaving;' ■;'; ;■! ".} special'; regard' to,, strategical - .cohsidera-' •>:;\w~; tioris.'-' '- : !'■■;'.'■ "■■■.','"■'• '' '"v..'•' !.:; ''iK'"?;'* .':' ! lt'suports',in expanded.form : the Gov., "•';;': : i 'ernment's scheme, for th e. establishment ;■ .I,:'V. '£ pi' small arms,'; and cordite facbtries' and ,;;';■:-; ■" military colleges', and is said'to favour. acquisition' 'of ;the Colonial Ammunition ;; : ;;;'/;< : ; Company's 'works,,'or to .otherwise-com-plete. Governmental management 'of ..cirk.':.''.'^ ridge-making. '-~ ;'■'■,■,;: ■'■.■'iy-'-,' > ; y: :;;(,';;;.• ,y : ; iyS', Mobility of Troops: A Transcontinental ;Xy; ; K --. ":■"' ;",;'■.:•:''. "''-/.'. Railway. -":/-■'''■;;: v'y ':;'--^'''V?v^ ' The.scheme proposes tho increasing -'';..; the. ammunition .reserves_in' all. parfs'.bf Vy-:?,:;' the. Commonwealth/' and'the. creation .bt-VH-y'? centres of a 'given, number of' self-depen-lv': *: v ;' dent, ■ fully-equipped • army corps,' '.capabte-'"/;'.?-'.':-.!.; 1 of- movement at any moment to. any■idan.'.l '■-/■:)■ .; ger point.'- '■■:.■'■' -'~ ■:■■:■/.■■ .'■ .' v :'';U-':':y'-v^Vvs.'- :; ;.;S; ; ;It- recommends the fortification of ■ 6ey«V;;,-;■ -}?i> oral independent coastal; points, close"ai£:';:i"v£? sociation''of:the railway "systems,with.da. "y'i ;V. : > fence"organisation, and the early;'cbn6truov;'>;;ii ; y: tion of a trans-continental railway.; ~.;.''';•': V 'j;;; THE 'FIRST NEEDOF DEFENCE ;;:'■:■;•',:;.■ .y^yrWIFENDERS^^fViv/.';;::.^::^^;^ ■ ■;■■: )■ tip;.empty;;Tepit6rt; 1-i--si ;]Mr!-DEAKIN 'ON.THE KITCHENEB'''• '■"'■ V plj:.~-;;^;:• ;'■:;. :. ; y;;f>v ;; ';; ;i '^.i?) '':'■>-'v .'.V .' : :" Sydney,.February ,17i; ''..<;.fe.s ~: Speaking at Inverell,' Mr.: Deakin,' Prim* S -'!iS:• i Minister,;declared- thaf Lord' Kitchener's yAi '■ scheme studied Economy .withput'sacrinc-;' ! ':'."* ing;,eEciehcy; ■'. Putting aside ail. ; decora-v;v : :';''Sii tivey effect ■of rriilitarism','. it was framed % 'iojx\ of thosb: desiring :to 1 fend: their;, hearthstones >dnd ; thosevdear?,'H'!.:;;i; to' H^r : '<--'i^i': :^y:'-''i:''-[ .'' : ' : --''y::i/rfM

'.. .'Referring, to; tho necessity;for. more, peo-*' i-.v.; 'l pie,' and while.favouring'the:immigratibi; ''';"' prppbsals, ; .he ■' emphasised/.that what' thai':'Visl .country., wanted /was" more'of'itsbwnvpeo-/;/; ■'.:"•'.' pie—more '■ Surely/, it would;: N-'-';;.* 1)8 possible for/Australia to.'.devise.a.pol-...,''.-;. : : : 'i : ' icy /.by ; which 'instead; of. a child; being',;://;/;; regarded, as, an; encumbrance it -would ,bai : ' ■': '•);-. welcomed as a valuable 'asset'.'';'; ''v' /' ":- x " .•;■?.- '.'.Touching,on the.subject;'of.the-North--'.V;;/:' er'n/Territory, he saidithat unless.itVwa);.; : '''{.; : ; speedily/peopled- they, -wo-ild/havo'to sea';!*•',:; 'to; its/defence by the; establishment -"of V;''K'S military barracks. : . ;;V^ : ; /"/ -. ', '■' /* :}h',y.:(i':'

THE^TRANS-AUSTHALIAN^RAI^ /i. "One/of. the most pleasing:features'!of./ '''■-'■}■■■■. the. Prime Mimster'si'-.BallaratvspekhJ; ',':'■/' (says., the,- ''Sydney' Morning /Herald" / of;; -'■' ',!". ,/i February-10); was the bommittal/of 'the! ;.■':) .'•.':■ Liberal.party/to tho early"construction;of'' .;:: : the;'itwb great -lines: of ■ railway to bind-; ': .<'./ together ■ this ..'continent: east, and , west / and north and south.-,.- In the nature' of, ■; ■'• things.- Mr. .Deakin "could not make,any',. : :;;;V very..definite'utterance .regarding.;,' tho ;.--nV:.: northern.' linoi-as'-the'-.position is coinpli-. -■ '■• •■' oatcd by the ( attitude of South.Australia' - '■'?■' with'respect, to Hbe.. transfer , of.'the - :: ' '. Northern: Territory;' but:.we are; to/note-'his. recognition,' riot.'only of : ' ';-i vast. '■■'■ and ''.pressing importance of • that ■■'■'.: •■': ' : ;- ,work,:but of: the necessity of .the Com- :'-■■. V:'*;? monwealth /being- left free to' choose the,-' ; r.: : i best;: route; ■ The other; proposal/to ./link;;';-..-; ; / up-Western Australia,/fortunately, is not" ; '; : ;'- besot., with'.any; complications, as".. to ter'- ':.'/- ritorial control .or route. The trial", sot-'.': .;'-' : veys haying been, made, and estimates l of - : '.f-%['■* cost furnished, the, proposal'is in practical . > ■■.■>-, -S shape,: and/'.we/shall, hope .to see the first -,';v. l -' ! . ; from "all.,other .considerations,;.wo. have,-:■;";'':> to. recognise that the construction of this .' i-v J ; line -is part of the, ebmpaot 'madeVtfith/'::': ; V? the,eastern:Stat'es ; by";Western'Australia;.-;';" '•'■> on coming into, the/union,'and'-that be-'.:'■.!-"•■ irig, so\ faith, must.: be. kept. 'Were ..,--it -~/■; •'.•V;V;r' otherwise,' however",: the 'construction'- of - . ■' 'i- . the/linens justified.by the/necessities;of : : ' ; :- v ' : - the Commonwealth.,' Along with'a':north- '/:;; : v\; em -.line,'' its-, value.in .'a defence scheme (:';<-;. has, had timely /'emphasis by- Lord': Kit.:';;:' 'jW .chenor;-.: True; another military authority, •'-;';,":.'£ Sir ..Edward :Hutton| : . observed /in-one'of ;';■//:;' his earlier : reports that 'it wasof no" use' '■'■;'.; ;; :"- btilding a/lineuhtil we hadmeh oyer it; but wo hope, ,w« can. now take", a■' /' •'.-"•: '::>■ more' bptimistie view ."of bur' early 'capa-!, ; >:/tt'':; city'to find tho men if they are: wanted.:':.-.'i K / "But '■; oven" on its purely. business. side':■'; ",-'■ ■?; the trans-Australian proposal is .not .so ).".'; '■■?{■ hopeless as its opponents in the eastern'-' .*'•!- States are. wont-to' regard it.. .Certainly :■■ '-l' it "involves;;a:;track; through a painfully v/';';S blank 1 space oh'.'the : map; but expe'rienca/.'' .::■■; is showing us that; we'.must not.jump too: :/M- Srashly'to unfavourable .'conclusions about ; V ;-'V:: all the blank .'spaces on.the map of :Aua-/ .'''': tralia. .The,proposed' line will/be 1065 V ' :. .W ; miles in length, and admittedly the conn-V-C' !';■; try .'for. a .'great part of. .the. distance ,>., : »: i- :- is'useless for 'any, purpose' at;~:. ..V-': present apparent.':: But it is not. all ■ of n.-v",-' that oharaoter.. .Between the. South Au*.r' ! ; : :'?■< tialian ; , border.and -Kalgoorlie'the'sur-^"-'.ri'i;? veyors. report tho ;■ existence of . a.: great = V;'-:'V,;: limestone /.'.plain,.:. comprising,' perhaps "V ■ - , ". : ''; ■25,000,000 acres of"fair. to. good pastoral':.',::'; • country, capable,: on a very.low estimate,.- 1 ;:': ; :' .'i of .carrying one million, and. a: quarter '■.?"«: sheep; -while:, on tho / South - .Australian-} :vV'. '■'.: side., there, 'are considerable- areas V-i of -f ''''':;■ country which would be :usable. foiv'pas- : ;'% J r: tbral purposes'.if 'a railway were■ in ei- •'":[ 'r± istence. .-The 'estimate of cost 'after :'the '.':',: oomplotioni of the 'survey/was J!3,988,000; v "':'H : but -on an earlier "estimate'./'of,: roundly,' f ':' V 1 the. engineers considered that.'?'-/.:''-; after; paying interest 'and loss on the' line ..would' not be- more .than.; :"'•:;' ; vii3,OoO in the:first;year//and; that- : '.-.if -" : 'i'& Western /Australian, expansion continued; i;S'\r.. at the same rate as;ih the decade past, : ■,';;':..: in: ton years the los 6' should .'be converted . "'.'. ■ into a profit of £18,000., Itlis. possible/;;;/-*: that some: may. be,nervous about' these v.'.v estimates, but wo' are. entitled, to take a. V;"./ large and hopeful view of the'.future ,of ■;,.":'-;' our country. Moreover, tho definite un-. :'::'':' dertaking. : .how.., given'.'.- by : ; the'■'■ Western: V; : .:/ Australian/Grovernment./to allocate to the ',";:'■;': Coniinomyealth the . revenues . from the:.,--' ~ land/for 25/ miles. bn..either : side of tho. lino.so long as the.'enterprisa'continued : , .:'.. ; .':/ non-payingi /reduces the /Commonwealth's ■;;.;' financial'risk to sbmocxtent.//The.rail- . 7--•'■■:. : ' way will give the land value, and it is to : .///V be hoped: that South Australia 1 will see '-'::■!:A : the wisdom of followini;.her. neighbour's ! ' ■:;•/' example. A; similar policymight well re- '//./'i ceivo consideration by New South Wales.:,;:,;:,: and, Queensland, when.; the /Port Darwin .'::'.■/- connection assumes practical .character.**.' /,'.';:

■■'• INSPECTION OF CADETS. • ■' '.- In connection; with tho inspection . of tho School Cadets by Lord Kitchener at the Hutt Park next week, the Welling, ton Education Board lias decided that the day of the inspection, Friday next,' -will be observed as a school holiday. On the day before (Thursday), the cadets will assemble at the park, and the board has decided, with respect to that day,"that •sohools concerned will' be closed only if, in the opinion of the chairman of' the respective committees arid the headmasters,' the absence on parade of members of tho teaching, staffs will impede' "tho working of the school, even with the best grouping .of.the .classes possible. .'