MILITARY NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1313, 16 December 1911, Page 12

MILITARY NOTES.

[Edited Bi Echiloh.]

REPORT ON DUNTROON COLLEGE. AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE ACT AII EN Dm The publicity given to the opportune tes for hoys at tho itoyal Military College at Duntruon brougnt the Commonwealth Defence Department what tho Minister lor Dofenco forms a crop of 'very mtisfacfcor.v" applications for tho 3i eadetships to bo awarded in January (states the "Melbourno Age"). Froiii New .South Wales i'l eligible entries worn received; Jrom Victoria, 52; from Queensland, H; from South Australia, 9; from Western Australia 2} and from Tasmama, JO. Jn addition to the 32 Australian unlets to Iw enrolled at tho collego next year, there will he 10 from New Zealand, making the total number ol cadets nt tho college 83. "By establishing a navy you aro rclievnig 'ho -Mother Country of the whole exIK'itso of keeping for her the Australian waters, and she will secure tho economy it means in officers and men bv deurees *' remarked Admiral Wm. Henderson ro. coimy to an interviewer. "1 have <Hscussed the question with people throughout Australasia, and with many people elsewhere, and I have not heard a dissenting voice. In the Senate just now these sentiments were expressed' by both sides. I have no doubt that Australian have determined to carry through their naval policy, to mako their navv efficient, and that for its success onlv the good will and assistance of the Admiralty iu-e now required. Its success is socuiu J.ho question is whether Now Zealand should not bo 'inked with the schenio. I am convinced that tho way to Becure complete navnl efficiency in Australasian waters is for New Zealand to join up with tho Commonwealth in the provision of a fleet for that purpose. Public opinion must Ijo brought round to see uiis. Of course, Now Zealand would havo representation on tho Board of Control."

Amendments to the Commonwealth' Defence Acts were embodied in two amending Dills introduced iu the Seuato last week by tho Minister for Detente, The first alters tho Defence Act to that a wliolo day drill for senior cadets "shall not bo less than four hours, a half-day drill not less than two hours, and a night drill not less than one hour." Thin will allow the oflicers to reduce tho duniliun of drills by one-third. Tho Minister may substitute whole day or lialfriny drills for night drills iu any ppocificd places. For senior cadets, who reside two miles from tho appointed place lor training, attendance for a smaller number of hours than prcscribcl may bu allowed to count as full statutory duration of drills. Power limy bo given to officers to grant leave of abseuco when tho conditions of weather through excessive rain or heat render attendance a hardship, and 110 equivalent attendance is to bo. required in lieu. Prohibitions arc inserted against parents, gunrdians, or employers preventing boys from drill- ' ing. Under the provisions for prosecutions power is taken to start proceedings at any time within two years of tho alleged otTeuccs. The effect of the Government's amendments is to reduce the hours of senior cadets' drill to the following:— .. Four day drills of four hours, 12 half days of two hours, and 24 night drills of ono hour, with extra or lengthened drills to bring the .total duration of half day and night drills to 01 hours. \ I'he provision in tho principal Act that 110 penalty shall be recoverable from it cadet until the cud of h.is eighteenth year is rescinded. Continual complaints have. lioeu made to the Defence Department sinco tho institution of the drills that the strain is rather severe on the boys, and tho Minister announced last week ; that, under his instructions, tho Adjut-',; aut-Gcncral had mado regulations from. , timo to time, mollifying tho training as \ far as practicable under tho law. Tho I power to do away with night drills would \ be exorcised in. country. districts, where I most of thb' lads had to ! . travel fur in j the dark to get to parade grounds. Tho 1 cadcls wore now going through the worst part of their (raining. Tho work would become. much more interesting to thom when they got to the advanced stages. "It seems proper to slate," reports tin Commandant of tho Koynl Military College, lirigadier-General Dridgas in his nn> ■ mini report to the Federal Parliament, "that 110 political inlluence has been brought to boar on administration." Jlo adds that another condition necessary lo success is that instructors should bo chosen for fitness, apart from consideration of birthplace or domi'iile. When tho iwlds begin to return to the eollegc us instructors, all fears on (his ground will Ixi dispelled. If these conditions are comp!i... 1 -.iili, and funds mado availnblo an needed for steady development, "the institution will bo ouc of which Australians may bo as justly proud as Americans are if 'West Point.''' Commenting upon th« ivorld-wide interest taken in I (10 Inundation of the college, and expressing its iniebirilncss to tho commandants of Woolivicli, Sandhurst, West Point, and Kingston, and the educational authorities of Australian States and universities, tho Commandant gives the history of tho 'onndation. He urges that, houses for jllicers and teachers should bo creeled without delav, and recommends that tho 'ollowing buildings and works bo \iro,'idcd' . . , , . 1. For physical training ati obstacle anrsn and a gymnnsium. 2. For musket•v instruction, a SOi 1 . yards range for thrice ammunition firing, a miniature rango or the Solaro target, mid a COO yards tassificatimi range, with firing rights ivei: an area for field practice range. .1. Vccommodal ion for next year's cadets, to nter 011 February 1, fivo blocks of cadet ititrac&a, und three class rooms with ating apparatus. 4. Magazine for stor- ■■ ng small arm and gun ammunition, an ipen menage and a riding school, a small ibservatory (instruments have been piirhase:l), a workshop, with power and uacbinerv, n squash tennis court, a inspitnl with six beds ami kitchen, and n eefeation room for cadets. Tho Commandant remarks that wlulfl itdets receive ss. (j<l. 11 day whilo 011 Hie looks of the college, to nay for cost of woks, instruments, washing, Mossing, ml maintenance of uniform, the present: ost of food is Is. 3d. and wages 12Id. a av. Assuming that ono out of every even cadets fails to graduate, it will take imrteen years to bring the staff up to lie strength recommended by Lord luthenei',

Civilian miniature and long-range rills clubs who orgauise meetings irom time to time, do so with (he object ot bringing together rifle shots in incudly rivalry and to encourago fthootinu in tho district where the*! meetings nre held, remarks a writer in the ".Military Hail," in a. short article dealing with tho War Office view of rille meetings. The strictly military point of view is rarely adopted by thesi clubs when drawing up programmes and competitions for meeting?. That is to say, there arc no freals tjrgets or other things dear to the soul of the 11 ytho experts. Fur this reiisan, therefore, it i« interesting io glance at the official regulations set forth in the latest musketry manual issued from the War Ofliee under the direction of the Director of Military Training. Hidden away in dry and technical paragraphs we como across soino gems of shooting literature, such as:— "The attainment of a good averago standard of proficiency by a large number of me ms infinitely more ini|>ortani than phenomenal skill developed by a few champions, or the compilation of scores in excess of nny previous recorded by competitors wlio confine their practice to one fortu of shooting." Further on we find that "Championships lend interest to n meeting, but do not directly assist flic object in view; if a championship is awarded to an experienced com|x>(ilor for skill in applying fire, lo a buH'e-eye tniwt when the range is known and each shot is signalled, money ami ammunition are wastetd. voung shots arc discouraged, and false ideas as to musketry training arcdisseminated." ■ ■ As regard;; team which a popular item in civilian _ rifle meeting programmes, tho oflicial idea is as follows.-- 1 "Team eornpotiljons at unknown rrmgro are the most practical of nil forms of shooting, but may lead to waste of ammunition. unless .mistakes in fire direction aro noted, and penalised before fire is opened."