The Dominion. THURSDAY, MAY 7, 1914. THE VISIT OF SIRIAN HAMILTON

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2142, 7 May 1914, Page 4

The Dominion. THURSDAY, MAY 7, 1914. THE VISIT OF SIRIAN HAMILTON

Those who have read and thaught about the tour of Gmit.w, Sift lan Hamilton in Australia and New Zealand arc not likely to undervalue the importance of tfie portion which i ho occupies as Inspector-General of , Overseas Forces. It may be possible to make improvements in tlm jnethed of inspection, and some alterations may bo made in the (Jutics of the ; Inspector-General; but there is cer- ! tainly need foi- such an office, and it ought to be continued until some- , thing better has been discovered to put in its place. , The office was : created by the British authorities i in consultation with- the dominion , Governments, and it is not likely : to be abolished without the. consent • of the various parties concerned, or ; at least a majority 'of them. The ■ justification of the establishment of ; the Inspector-Generalship was clear- ; ly and convincingly expressed by : Sin lan Hamilton himself in the • interview reported In yesterday's i Dominion, when he remarked tfiat i the occasional visits of a stranger : who would criticise the work of the- < overseas forces in the light of his i own experience of the practical side I i of military serviee i.a a good thing, s The mere knowledge that a i-owpot- i cut and sympathetic oiUsiUc critic j ] may be expected to ceiiiii' aisjoiitr \] [(Hn j tVuni tiiiu , to liiiu , and give his! s candid .opinion on (he value of the ; work they are doing must ad; as i a spur on officers and men, and cause > thorn to put more heart- and brain i into their operations. The pmofiwd j advice of an expert of j high standing h ahr> of great vnju.--, f Hβ sees thing? fr» "a different] j

p point of view, and is in a position t< Jj put his finger on weaknesses and do ), feels which those in the midst of tl« • actual work of building up an efll eicnt citiacn army may possibly over 11 look. The visit of a soldier with i u-orld-wido reputation must als< ~ have an inspiriting effect on everyj't body concerned. It puts them on their mettle, and reminds them thai they are, not an isolated bodv of men d with no- interests outside their ovn: t Jittle corner of the world; but that '<• .they arc 00-operatws with similai 'forces in other British communities in. a great scheme of Imperial ttefence. It is for them 10-do thcii part well, so that when the clay oi trial comes the soldiers of New Zealand will not be found wantfng. The work of tho Inspector-General must also have, a unifying influence '• on the military defence of the Empire. Though there may be a good _ deal of difference in the rt-efence policies of the various Dominions, there ought to be the greatest p«sis sjble unity, _ with due regard for i<! local conditions and circumstances, ■>' in method and aim as far as the actual training of the troops is con- ' cerned; and "it is a distinct Ad vantage _ that there should bo sorne per- -. son in a position to view the scheme of military defence as a whale. _• Every Britisher worthy of the name « recognises that tho Mother Country and the overseas Dominions are jointly responsible for their mutual protection against outside a-ijgres* sio'fl, and the realisation of this fact t involve the necessity for all being - ready for united action whenever the need may arise. Though some parts of the Empire may bo satisfied with - vojuatary systems, while others, like S Australia and New Zealand, act on - the great principle, so impressively laid down by Lpnp Roberts, that the i. duty or defending his country "is incumbent on every man, and that a citizen army should be tho-fovigh'ly denjocratic in character; yet, t^'itn j apart- from tho Question of cjcpedi» tioftary forceSi the various. methods of training should lie capable of interlocking as tar as military theory and practice are concerned. This principle was recognised by the Conference on Imperial Defence, one result of which was.—as Lnni> ILu.Dane pointed out in a recent speech—' tho formation of n body of trained , officers whose U-nsiness it is to work out plans for all the forces of the ■ Crown, and whose services are avaiJ- . able for any Dominion Governwent , that may desire them. This,' said LoitD Raumve, was an illustration "of Mie unifying effect that was Possible under an unwritten constitution. The utilisation of Duntroon College for the < training of New Zea-iamt is a step towards the 'ieaKsation of tho co-eperative idea in. this part of the world. The occasional ■ visits of distinguished British offi* core such as Loitp Kitcheker and' Sir lan Hamilton, and the opportuni* ties which occur from time to time for Australian antl New Zealand officers t<j gain experience in England ■ or other parts of the Eitipifo,-also tend towards the move, complete unification of the Kisq's forces in all Bntlsft communities. Such facilities for military intcrcpmrotraicatio-n are of great value. Tliey ai'o cliaunnle tor the reception of new ideas and new points of view which have a ■stimulating influence by lifting men out of old grooves and.making" them felunk things out afresh. •. •.