MILITARY NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1049, 11 February 1911, Page 12

MILITARY NOTES.

' *—~*~ —■:" • [Edited By Echeuw.] ' . REGISTRATION IN AUSTRALIA. THE RAILWAYS AND DEFENCE. • - The subject for the Boyal United Ser- v : vice Institution's military gold medal essay for 1911 is: "The best national, system for. providing -the. necessary military force; (1) .to secure the safely of the United: Kingdom on, land; (2) v to support the defence of the Empire;. (3) to assist in maintaining the balance ' of power in Europe.'";.'. . .'•' . - • The Dominion Chief Scout -(Lieuten-'^ v ant-Colonel Cosgrove/ V.D.) states, for ' tho information of officers and scouts throughout the'Dominiori, that he'has ■'■■'"■'• received from Major Ta'tum,. of- Wei- ";■'■' Imgton, a handsome gold medal for pre- ■' ' sentatidnto the Scout-who has per-, formed the most chivalrous act during : : the year 1910, arid.three—one gold and ' ; two silver—to be awarded in 1911: the silver medals to be awarded to the- r Scouts who perform the next'.most -: chivalrous set this year in'each island. .: Provincial; commissioners have already.' been advised to make this widely, known" ' : .throughout, their districts, and •to for- r -l' headquarters, Tuahiwi, Christ-. •'"' church, all-applications for the. 1910--medal, accompanied -by detailed ■-, ao--'■-" ■■> counts of the acts of chivalry duly'at-- - tested before March 1 nest, for the in-' :.'■ formation of the executive. ' His Excellency Lord Islington has been appointed "- by the-, London Scout' Headquarters ■ Council to award the bronze cross arid tlKr silver, cross for gallantry, also tha'..'.:; medal and that these medals' .- will in future.be granted by Governors-. ; of-colonies on the recommendation of '■:'" tho. active'heads of. the movement-ia • the several colonies. - • :i' .

■ Some weeks ago (states an -Australian contemporary) the new Australian Council 'of-Defence "was exnarided by the Minister, so as to embrace the Chief Railway Commissioners • of the various ' States. .The .intention was to "secure a complete system of co-operation within ; the Defence and. State', railway systems. , : Senator .Pearce.; has v. invited, the' Commissioners, tol "i ,m, conferericeyin- Melbourne on iFebru- • fli-y 14. rlhe conference,.which, will he*.> of a prelimiriary character,, will aim at ■- laying down the}; broad"principles of future relationships of; the railway systems* to defence-: 'Detailed action- will be determined at further meetings to be held-later in'the year, ; but. some preparatory consideration: of-' i the gauge problem is likely t to be' necessary.: The: Minister will address the Comiriissioners;in public at the opening > of the.Melbourne meeting, but the-sub-sequent proceedings of the. conference''„■ will be of .a confidential character^; '•■'•:■•"

.The recent statement ■by-the /; monwealth Minister of Defence. (Sena- : tor Poarce)thatit was the: intention ?;;- of the Department to prosecute parents ' and guardians who; failed to register" their hoys for compulsory training, had'. V ! a. salutary effect (reports a Helbdurrie; V-':. paper). A large, number of registra- :■?;;.•;': tions .were forwarded; to .Tarious-post- ''-:;■' masters at the hist .moment, arid ...the ."' /■ area officers were busy; to-day • record- :■',.-.- ing them;. Some.' of ,the" late registrar. ''.: tions were accompanied by ,letters:, of ■ '. apology and. explanation; y A- citizen • ' who'forwarded. the registration, pajera ajjjthe-last moment to the. area officer ':V'in the'Southern:'Brigade: 'was ' defiant;';';' came. &£;?'! ha"nd,"it- was* riot' filled in, • and a letter, ; accompanying. the,blank'docuihent:gave;" i ' the reason... "I 6bjebt,"' : .it rah,"-'fto my!-, sons undergoing graining;in order = to. : -..-■ becomo; hired assassins.''-.; -The letter i-.-C. was filed for reference.'. Since the be-. .'.-..- ginning of' the year there have been ■ numerous reasons advanced by unwilling parents' why 'exemptions should be granted to their sons." These were, for ;•'."-.: the '-.most- part, based 'on religious' v-. ; . scruples ! of the . parents, and. physical . defects in :the cnildreri. 7 The obliga-' tion to register, however, was impressed on the parents,'and in every : instance .-, those/who raised objections, acquiesced v in thedemarid of the' Department, arid filled in the'prescribed forms, 'intimat-i. ing-to the' area officers that they.in- : ' tended at;a'; subsequent date to apply'■"'■ for exemption.. ' ; f'--' :■' ■ s

"Australian forts (we.are told) are no longer to be opened to visitation by; the .\ cheap tripper, or the amateur spy. An ' ■ order has been issued ,by. the. Federal Government absolutely closing the forts; . and a certain area ;around them, in .all --;. States to the general public. In the ; course of a statement on. the subject : . by the. Minister for Defence recently, -':'■' it, was pointed out that owing to • the .. fact that, access to - the -forts in the ' :■-. past had been, very. easy,-, the i practice L of visiting them had grown to-an:ex- •; tent which demanded immediate action.,. ; "In the case of the Queenscliff ■'forts,"said Senator Pearce, ."they..;have;bei -,i come a sort of holiday-resort." 'As these .-, i! forts have recently been remodelled-and.-new appliances and guns.installed there-i :'.;:- in, it-had become absolutely essential-::-, if the forts are to be! of any valuer-v. that they should vbe-.completely. closed , to '"the public. I have therefore.-; pro?.;.' mulgated'an order,giving effect to this ■; ■ view.; The.forts will be closed..to all civilians except, in the case of members > of the -\ Federal Parliament. and their ;-■' wives' and families, when accompanying'• ; them." It is difficult to understand; why (remarks a Victorjan'journal) special privileges should be given. by the . Minister to-.Federal, politicians, their, wives and families. If the order .be ■;■■'.-_', i absolutely prohibition f to civih'ans, Fed-. ; ' eral Ministers!and.officials and the ..Gov- ;;. ernor-General should be, the sole es-.' ceptions. If this policy-is to be, gen-\. erally adopted in f»ew Zealand as well," ;-!' the restrictions .which were recently re- ; moved'.with, .respect to . public. traffic .; round Mahanga Bay way will-; no doubt '. bo again applied. , . "-v.-'-;. '.:*:■''■■■'.= ■ The time for the enrolment-of. Aus-;-. traliau youths /between: the ages of ;14: w and 18 in the senior cadet _corps; ex-;: ; pired on January 31.., Isomihalfyj various penalties became then'operative | against those ! who ha.d not registered in the various compulsory "training, areas. " : It is not, however, ; the intention of | the Minister-for Defence in- •■ terpret the law, at any rate, for some.; ; [weeks-.' In-the course of-?a»statement,' -/■ yesterday Senator Pearce said:- "We '■■'. [ ; shall not be/able to- get .complete re-" ;£■;■ turns for the v January. -; registration! ; : ' until the middle of' February, and there- /'; ; fore no action will betaken beforethen' >;. with regard to those who have jidt;re- ',' ; gistercd. We recognise .that, owing to.:. tho school.holidays and other stances, in some cases' unavoidable dev ; : lay may have.occurred. Fromtko pro-,. : gross reports already received we have .-;■;. reason to'believo'that by that date,r<K > ,-: gistration will bo pretty well"complete. .;, From evidenc'o supplied by the ; reports =-■.-,-. thcro seems to be an impression. ,on :? ; tho minds of certain people that'they., may claim exemption from-the trainin" provisions of tho Dcferiee Act on. tho ground of conscientious objection to. bear arms. Tho clause, in the Act ;rc-;."'..-:-latin" to this' matter gives the exomp-!,, : .. tionlFrom service in time of war as •': far as combatants' duties aro, concern-1 ed. ' But it docs not exempt-; persons;. :".;; with conscientious' scruples from, train-,. .; in*; Naturally; wo should train those:-i, who have' conscientious; objections : in;.;..:; non-combatant rather than combatant.;,-: work. Nevertheless,:- they, are liable: ",: to be called upon to bear arms.for -s _ 'ing purposes." ;.J:. ,-•;.-:„" :£:y.;\;.;fe:V. ; .%