AUSTRALIA'S ARMY TO-DAY

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2154, 21 May 1914, Page 5

AUSTRALIA'S ARMY TO-DAY

SIB lAN MILTON'S REPORT

DEFECTS.. IN SYSTEM

WAR MACHINE MUST BE WELL

ORGANISED ■ { . j By 'Wcjrni>lj--Pr«M Assocld-tio.tt'-CijDJ'rash! (Itec. May 20, 9.1-5 imii.) . , Sydney, May 20., ' .Sir lan lfamiltan's report on l-lio roili* tary fortes of the Ccffiiinomvcaith has been published. Tho Inspcctor-Gencral lays it iowu thai tho rtrtijal stJ'cnjjth . <>!. a S-ta'io consists '"in tho , aggregate striking power of its armiesi And fleets, which should !js as iittivr-'d'epei.ideflt as the forefinger and tl» thumb." Ho deekres that iii a. militia. a.rmy tiwrc -is iio room for a peace system divorced from _ war requirements, and:, therefore, during tho poriod of peace, tho military fcrvicos should bo organ■iscd binder war eoifdi-t-iiin'S. After tti* marking that Australia's attention bo far lias betm necttssarilv concentratcd in training, ho says: "The timo is iiaw almost rips for. tho eonSoKtiatitt-g of tho existing iorcos into n carefully-piaaiwd mstrnnii'irt of war."' Tho lnKpeetor-Gi'Keml condemns tho centralisation of tho Dcfoaco Department at MfiUmriifc, adding: "Actually tho Australian system a.s it exists to-day is purely a 'product of peace procedure, and could: not liopo to carry on beyond tho first fow • weeks'of a war," & Advocates the -separation of tho business administration, front tho purely military wijartments. • Tho report concludes: "Tho whole of tho regulars and throo-fourtlis of tlio mslittji. are sufficiently trained to take part in a mfidern battle, sufi'pdsing Such aii occasion arose tho day after ■ tomorrow. Vvith two weeks' warnvirf, tho reniaiahig fourth of tho militia, ' phis xoii?.e tft-cnty thousand of ihc flower of the rifle «tol>s, 'would he a-vailaMo as rcinforcemc-nte." . \ "I n'.c-ar, that a la.rgc proportion of ( the forces have not only the billing spmt, lint the actual teeinr'cal :;kill reqmsito to eiiaiilo one man io haiidlo them in -ictiuu. put- how would the.r fare on tire hattlofioM," giving duo woipiit i-o the moral facfor tliat Uiey would be fighting for a- country:-Hiatus' ft'ell worth defending, n.nd of wh.ich they had a lofeal knowledge ? 'Clsoy woUid need to bo in a majority -o'f at least twd -toww «> order to fight rt- pitched ' Rattle with picked troops from oversows on oq;ia! terms." '

Tlife comparative lack of discipline and eolation, sh(Wffig tip strongly whore large forces are involved;, aro. tho I)> spootor-Genorat'a Toasons for allowinc; so largo a .margin of superiority to tho Atisfcraluros as ligaitisi hivgdiri-g;. forccsT.

fHE SPEECH ON THE PACIFIC. "SPICED IN THE TROPICS" New Plymouth, May 20 Geueeal Sir Inn MiinlMfeflii SJid ■staify aitof inspecting tho review of ' Senior cauots, wcro .eiitortaine.d at. dimier. '!'hcy afterwards visited tho veterans' ltiiicii(,:i. whe.ro in a speech in. reply to tho toast of his health Sir lan liaiiiiltoii said that lie was jjleascd with tho Work -of the cadets- in i'araiiaii i and m Xpy Zealand goiierally. Toiichmg on itia visit to South Africa two years ago lib -aid that tlio war .bad helped io sweep ft.'way tho old racial bj-titxs.nicss., which would iievet return. The Boers, who tfcniicrly avoided iVatal as bci-ltg piireiy Biitish, Sow visited it i'leq-neiitly a-sra sea-sicla resort.

In his-: speech this ftioritiitg, ho referred to the. rcßcnt .cablegram fffiln Tbl?io | concerning his reported . remarks ..in f AucWai-id. that tiio Pacific would bo a possible ba:t.tle'grGu:n-.d betsveen' Asiatics and Europeans. He said J:e \tas nnfortunato in incurring tlis displeastiro 'of certain organs of tho Press, of the allied Powers, but the report on which tlie displeasure was .based must- have hnon spiced in crossing the Tropics. Ho had merely put a iiypothi'Um! case, ikat ■ seemed sounsl tiieqry, to the. -effect that as tho nations gr'mv bigger awl wrirsless- frequent-, but. more, terrible, or.o could iiiiaghib a period •wiieii EnvlMres' would comprise great continents, * and S-uoh 4 Contine-iiial Empire might havoto i'aeo couiest in ai ms or economics, ■ and iio had said that Xetv Zealand would do well to be prepared, and was preparing for tho millennium or. ArimtRcddßi!.

In ail interview with a "News" reporter Jia said he had given 110 fomidafor tlip rumour that ho'Wotiltl condemn the Territorial system as jmh-. ii'sked ill tho Xapi.e.i 1 Press. .No report would esenpo hum. till ho had his boot o.n the .going-awiiy <?f Wits boat which took him from Now Zealand.