DEFENCE NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 984, 26 November 1910, Page 9

DEFENCE NOTES.

[Edited Bt Echelon.] MILITARY EXEMPTIONS IN JAPAN. OVERSEA OFFICERS AND THE STAFF COLLEGE. Some idea of the importance attached to "war gnmes" in the British Territorial Force- may he gathered from the fact that l!io London Jfount'ed Brigade lias arranged a programnfe for sixteen war games for the iiext four months. In connection vnthtlio selection of tlie quotas for our new defence force, and tlie difficulties which will require to 1)0 faced with regard to exemptions, the following results of tho recruiting of the Japanese Army for 1909 are interesting:— Of the number of youths reaching the age fov military service, 559,317 (including 102,56-1 put bnck frqin the previous year), thero ivero put back: Supporters of families G2G Students 42.394 Residing abroad 33,275 Unknown, failing to appear, etc.... 27,861 Excluded as unworthy to serve 434. Sick or weak1y : .......'.... 8,721 Total 113,311 Seven liundred and four per 1000 of the men Avero passed as fit for service; 31 per cent, were taller, than 5 feet; 5 per cent, were illiterates; 3-137 men of less than. 20 years' service volunteered to serve, of whom 2227 were accepted. — • \ Here are a few military maxims, which are sufficiently distinguished by_ their origin, and impressive enough in. tho nobility of their . expression and in tbe soundness of their teaching, to inspire one -with the hope, that they, have not feen circulated in vain:— "Iu an officer cqurago without skill is a form of insanity."—Von Hoenig. "Jio , nation-can.expect to-be great that does not make the profession of arms its principal honour, study, and occupation.' —Bacon. ....>■ "Education is the iheaas. for.tho. advancement of knowledge and capacity. All officers are expected to bo diligent in their endeavour for the improvement their own knowledge nnd capacity. — Baron Snyemntsu. "Every individual acceptiiig the King's Commission must do so knowing what that commission entails, and have- sotno idea of the standard of elementary education that is required to understand the various subjects of - military everyday life."—Sir H. Smith-Dorrien. ; "Thero is an enemy greater -than the hospital; the 'I don't knows;' From the half-confessing, the guessing, lying, deceitful, palavering, equivocating squeamishnoss and nonsense of tho 'I donft knows many disasters originate.,. Instruction is lisht! Non-instruction is darkness! The worker fears his master! If a peasant knows not how to plough tho corn will not grow! One wiso man is worth threi fools-give six-ami even six arc little give ten: One clever fellow will beat them, overthrow them, ami take them prisoners." —Souvaroff. "Duty' is heavier than the mountains, and death is lighter than a feather. _ A soldier must always act with reflection, watch over his character, and weigh.well his words; do his duty without despisins tho enemy, however iweak; without fearin" him, however strong. —iho Mikado (Proclamation, 1882). .

In tho "ilomorandum by Hie Canadian ministers concerning Defence"—published with other State ' documents, for information of tho New Zealand House of Representatives the other, day—tho reasons [nven. ior dissenting at Uio .Coloiijal Conference of 1802-.from..certain' of tho proposals laid before that conference, by the. War Office and tho Admiralty were ■stattd to be that "tho acceptance'of the proposals would entail im-important .departure ' from tho principle of colonial sclf-govcrnnveht." This important question appears to havo been since adequately provided for in a subsequent ■ memora'ndum, h\ which it is stated that "tho full , - control of tho chief of the local section of the General, Staff by his own Government must be accepted from tho outset." It is further clearly laid down that, while chiefs of the local sections of the General Staff aro to "keep in closecommunication with tho Chief of tho Imperial General Staff,", they cannot receivo orders from him. "Ho will keep thein informed as to what arp considered, from an Imperial point of view, the-cor-rect general principles, and they will advise their Governments as.to tlio best method' of.' applying these principles to local conditions, and as. to tho. risk of departing from them. When this advice is not accepted, it will, bo their duty to carry out whatever their respective Governments may.order." In. regard to that portion of tho paragraph quoted which states that "the chiefs of,the local sections of tho General Staff will keep in close communication with the Chief of tho Imperial General Staff," in order to avoid possible misunderstanding by .tho Chief of the Canadian Section of tho. views or intentions of the Dominion Government, and consequent misrepresentation of those views to the Chief, of tho Imperial General Staff, it would bo advisable to lay down definitely that nil communications "passing between the Chief of the Canadian Section and tho v'liiei! of the Imperial General Stall", other than th'oso on purely routine or ephemeral questions, must be submitted to the Minister for his concurrence' beforo being dispatched, A definite assent, it is contended, should be given to the axiom that "in order to qualify themselves for employment on the General Staff, officers must havo been educated previously up to a certain common standard of military knowledge, and havo beconio imbued with the requisite uniformity of thought and practice. This uniformity in training and thought can only be obtained by passing officers intended for General Staff work through a Staff College. Tho memorandum appears to contemplate tho possibility of the Staff Coil-ego- at Camberley (England), which must for some years to come bo tho central school of higher military education for the wholo Empire, becoming congested, should large numbers of officers, from overseas bo collected together there, and suggests, as a possible remedy,, decentralisation by the establishment of similar colleges in the overseas Dominions. In view of the improbability of any. largo iucreaso of tho Canadian Permanent Forces for. some years to come, it is unlikely that tho Dominion would, for a considerable .period, bo able- to spare moro than four officers o£ that force at any one timo for a Staff Collego training. If this bo so, then it would not bo worth while for the Dominion to establish a Staff College of its own, and it would be preferable, subject to War Office concurrence, to continue" to send these officers . to tho Staff College, Camberley, following the existing arrangements. Should this course entail on tho War Office any addition either to the accommodation at tho College or to tho number of tho instructors, the Dominion Government would, of course, • be propared to hear its share of tho expense calculated upon any equitable basis. Closely allied with this part of tho subject is tho question, 'also considered in tho memorandum, of tho preliminary military education of regimental officers, in order to insure that officers entering the Stall' Collego should have attained as uniform a standard of military knowledge as possible, so that they may profit to the utmost by the instruction, given at those colleges. This question in Canada may present minor difficulties best met by an extension of the functions of tho Boyal Military Collego, Kingston, and by iiicluiliiig among its instructing staff specially selected officers from tho educational branch of the Imperial General Staff. Stress is laid upon tho advantages to bo gained by tho free inte-r----chango or ofiicCTS between tho various -branches of tho Imperial General Staff in the different parts of the Empire, and especially upon tho great benent which would result from periodical conferences of tho Imperial General Stall',, attended by representatives from nil • part of the Empire, and held under tho presidency of tho Chief of tho Imperial General Staff in London. Tho advantages indeed are obvious.

■ Tho acceptance of thoso proposals and Hioso ■ others already referred to would, doubtless, involve expenditure, but tho resultant benefits tiro so great as to outweigh enormously tho comparatively small eiuenso involved.