A FORCE OF 80,000.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 746, 19 February 1910, Page 5

A FORCE OF 80,000.

AUSTRALIA IN ARMS .

ANNUAL COST £1,742,000.

DETAILS OF KITCHENER'S PLAN

By Telegraph—Preßß (Hoc. February 18, 5.5 p.m.) Sydney, February 18. A summary 'of 'Field-Marshal Lord Kitchener's report, on the defences of Australia has'been published. It pays a tribute to .the excellent-material for defence which Australia provides, and to I f the' keenness shown by the forces while in camp. ' ' ,

The present forces, it is stated, are inadequate as .regards numbers, -training,: organisation, and' munitions of war, while the want of population is a danger. Tho new Defence Act will give 'sufficient numbers to defend tho conntry effectively if the forces are efficiently trained, organised, and- equipped. The annual cost, when the force is in full working, order, will be; practically the same; as < the. total annual cost contemplated under the Defence Act viz., #1,742,000. . ' . Organisation. The necepsary: land forces are estimated at 80,000, organised into: B*l battalions of infantry.2S regiments of light horse. - <'> 48 four-gun field- batteries. . ;; ... 7. four-gun heavy and Howitzer bat-, lories.' • ■■■:■ .' . 7 .communication .'companies.- ■ 14 field companion" ot engineers. . .The report; favours military colleges with, staff corps, and- ,a: number ,of.other recommendations, already cabled with regard to the . organisation and • distribution of tho forces. : T.: ■ ■ - ■ ■•, . Railways and Strategy.

It states that the present-railway constrnotion, while developing the country, has resulted in lines. more favourable to. an enemy than. to the defence of Australia. - r, Lord Kitchener advocates keeping military affairs' free from, political influenced THE BASIC PRINCIPLE IS SEA COMMAND. HAIF THE TROOPS A STRIKING FORCE. > CEeo. February 18, p.m.) ■Sydney, Fobruary 18., Lord Kitchener states that the training that he say, in tho camps indicated a distinct tendency to go. tob 'fast and ; to neglect the essential preliminariesof trainug'fpr more advanced gt-udita which the troops engaged were not capable of carrying out properly.

_ .After referring to .'the; excellent fight.; ing material available, he says that- exceHent material; and the: ■ greatest. 1 , zeal, though indispensable • adj unots, are • not of, themselves sufficient to enable a force to take the field against. thoroughlytrained regular troops. While not' criticising in. detail, what.-he : saw in .the yaripus camps, his suggestions. had been devised to meet the principal defects observed, and to enable-the camps:in future to be as^'well as a thorough test of. the.work done during tho year. , The Work of Years, In homo training it must be distinctly recognised that a national force :maintaiiicd at a liigh standard. of: efficiency could only bo produced -by the work of ? ea rs. Such work must bo steady and continuous., Any divergence from tho policy decided upon would probably lead to ohaos and useless , expenditure of money. ; '-V . :."i-v'..:;

Admitting the British: axiom that tho maintenance of tho Empiro depends on the supremacy of the British- naval power, Lord Kitchoner brings tho argument down to Australian conditions. -In applying, the principle to Australasia, he says: .. ■:

Considerations of timo and space- cannot bo disregarded. Tho condupt •of a great, war depends upon the calculated and proper continuation of : the naval, PriUfeiTi and' diplomatio forces." It is quite conceivable that in- the future, as in the past, national considerations'may require the concentration of the- British naval forces in', one or: other. theatre of operations. ; .

Temporary Loss of. Sea Supremacy,

It follows that, in seas remote" from snch. concentration the British • naval force may find, itself* for the moment'inferior in force to . the 'actual, or/ potential;, enemy, In such a situation, although our ultimate superiority at ,pea might not "be a matter, of doubt, ' soie timemight' elapse before- the command' of the. sea is. definitely.: assured in' all waters. ' It .. therefore becomes,, the duty of all self-governing Dominions to provide a military force adequate'.not only to deal promptly , with',, an attemptat invasion, but also to insure,,locai : safety, and public .confidence until- superiority on; the sea; is- decisively, and comprehensively asserted. :-■ Any Invasion Must Be In Force. ; For this, reason' it -was "recently, agreed that the homo force of the United Kingdom should be- so organised as to compel an contemplating invaßion; to make the attempt on such a scale as to bo unable- to evade -the naval forces. The same arguments apply - to Australasia. Its land forceq Bhould bo calculated. and organised on this -basis', v

Half of the-proposed force; of 80,000 nien would be required to. seoure the larger cities and defended posts from attack, while the other half of the force would operate as a mobile farce any- - where in Australia. The best defence was; generally by taking-the offensive; therefore, - there should he no ' difference in the organisation. , and , equipment of any unit. ■ - Annual Training of Citizen Soldiers. He departs, from the training ; prescribed . by. the Dofenco Act, - considering that while cadet training was valuable as a preparation it _cou}d n«t> replace recruit . training, which was : a necessary preliminary' to. the production of; an efficient trained citizen soldier. For this reason he classed 18 to 19 year old men as recruits: over and ; above the peace establishment of 80,000 men/ but liable to be put in the ranks in timo of war. He recommends extended camp training up to six clear working days a year, in addition to home training. This .would meet requirements up to tho twenty-fifth year. ... National Pride Essential. ■ The firpt principle he laid down as an essential of success of ' enrolment : was that the nation as a whole'should take a prido in its defenders and insist upon the organisation being real and Resigned for war purposes, and providing a mean l of properly , educating, '. training, and eqvdpping the officers and'men; in other words, the force must be an integral l portion of the. national, life.. , .

He. recommends' tho division of the Commonwealth into 215 training areas'

arranged in 21 groups. No social consideration, no influence, and nothing tut efficiency should bp allowed to affect tko i selection and promotion of officers in ' charge o£ areas. •., Scalo of Pay. Ho recommends tho following scalo of pay:— . Per annum. Coiouois —jesoo to isoa lieutenant-Colonels JB7OO to JSOO .Majors .—— • £550 to .£650;., Captains ,6375 to JMSOj Subaltenw . JC2SO : to' JE3SO Tho cost of the Military Collego is es> timated at ,£15,000. . ..