AUSTRALIA'S ARMY

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2137, 1 May 1914, Page 8

AUSTRALIA'S ARMY

GENERAL SIR lAN HAMILTON IMPRESSED "BEYOND EXPECTATIONS" Alter spending three months in Australia, Sir lan Hamilton] ■ inspentorQeneral of tho Oversea summed up his opinion of the Australian Uel'cncu forces as tallows, in an interview in Melbourne:—"I aw really sorry, to leave Australia. 1 like, tho people, and I like tho country. It is a. great country, and no one can foretell its future, l. am glad to be able to say that 1 have finished my report. v "I nave gono over the whole of the machinery covering tho militia, the permanent force's organisation and everything else .1 have endeavoured to traverse. If you, ask mo what I think of your force, however, I will say that the only fault I can find with it is its youth. The troops are all very .young, but they arc very kceTij. and a most promising Job for the future of Australia. Ev«ii now the luds are hardy, wiry and active, and.they ate imbued with a great amount of uerrous energy and quickness.

"In_ray opinion, it. is quite a mistake to think they, are- not amenable to discipline, Tho code of good form in" Australia is rather, against manifestations of respectj so people who .look on the surface of things sometimes Mo disposed to helievo that tho Australian youth.'is not adapted to being niouldod to*. discipline. As a matter of fact, I think thatj owing largely to the lads' intelligence, they respond at mice to tho direction of a superior; in whom thoy recognise, a master of ilio business in liand.

"My objection to compulsory service hi England is confined to compulsory service for adults, and that merely liecause cf a technical' difficulty'that would bo involved in regard to recruiting our permanent regular forces for oversea service. . Until I came to Australia I had only before mo the Swiss srmv on which to form an idea of comiralspry service. I haro seen iu Australia tlsat it presses moro lightly on the people Mail ill bu-rtzorlaml owing to tho-ro-emit training being spread over th« cadet service instead of being eoncentrafcod over several mouths continuous work for the adult recruit, t think, so tar-.asl am able to form im opinion, there is nothing that can do wore good lor.thp nation, whether it is recorded iram the moral or the physical aspect "

SiattMwneu Factories,,

In .reply to an incfiii-ry as to whether to.favoured tho establishment of Stateowßcd factorles for ma.uirfaeturing munitMns Gl war equipment.' G-ehc-rat' Hamilton said: "I am f.H for Australia, disclaiming the principle-of bisyin" hi tbo cheapest warket, because Australia must look far ahead, and must remember silo is gomg to ho a Jingo self-sup-jiorttng continent. , I think that as money !S available, establishments migl.it bo opened up with a view to doing whatever is possible towards that end. At the same time I am of opinion that such institutions must bo safeguarded agam&t. extravagance, ; which, miaht easily sprtng wp. 1 believe that sieps might bo l?.kon to provide W this means all those things.which should bo founu iii a country at the outbreak of war. litat giaouM coitve very «isv ?s ■the finances permit. Of. course tho'con. structioii ot field and fortress gtins tuwt remain just outside tho hounds of possibility lor tho tima be«g. . . •

Breediiig Semoimts, • "Yeu ask what I think of yortr liorses. Vox several 'years t hnvc owned am] ridden . Wafers. Bnt' sinco I have bijsii hertf I Itave lieard kmentatioim on all sides of the declino in both q Ua ;; lt.v and ntimber of tins charger-typo of animal. So far os I can see, isowcver there is iw great fault to find with your military horses.

"I have formed the opinion that -.something must be done to make tho service more attractive, It initiht bo advisable to grade tho training in such a way that the Iw-yoar-old boys would bo doing Eomething just a little in advance of what the 14-year-oltl hoys are doinic, and the 16-jx-ar-old boys would bo still more . advances.!, and so on by nges. The trainees would ttaen realise they were stepping up all tho tiin-e. If the work is to consist _of one continuous rund of tho same kind of instruction it must in the end become monotonous and pall oh those who hav'3 to submit to it. Similarly with the continuous traaningr camps. I have formed tho opinion thus Tit might he better to vary the work as much' as passible. "I will say tliat I am surprised ait what I have seen* I came to Australia armed with all the Facts and statistics available with regard, to the Commonwealth system, tut I am prepared to admit that what I have seen during my short stay is \ruite beyond niy anticipations. The scheme has, dovoloped wonderf-iilly during the few years it has been m existence, and a great doill of credit is due to those; who liaye directed its oarly inauguration. Tiie Light Horse- must) of course, be regarded as tlio nios-t typical branch of the Australian service. I believe- I have- been aWo to form a better impression of Australia thnvi tlio ordinary globo-trptter ivlio visits big cities ©lily. I go away feeling ib.at what, I have sews is beyond any former imagination. Tin's is a rieli country—an enormous countfy, with immense potentialities. My journey has been very oitpu ratliftr a strain, hut jwople ivere all so kind thai; on tlio whole it.was quite fine. I life the Australian people enormouslr. Cosild I hpljj liking tJieni very much indoad ? A visitor cannot hit it aff with people for two or three months at a strctcli mikss th.oro is sonw real Wnd of snujsathy. 1 am sorry fo be- going away."