AUSTRALIA'S ARMY

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2489, 16 June 1915, Page 5

AUSTRALIA'S ARMY

6BEINFORCEMENTS OP 5300 MEN PER MONTH MORE RECRUITS NEEDED ~l n Not 1 Zealand the recruit has now the prospect of 6ome months' -wait before getting into camp. In Australia ■he goes into camp, the day he enlists unless he takes the precaution to secure a. special exemption granting him leave for two or three days to finally dispose of any private affairs. An appeal for recruits was made laut week by Senator Pearce, the Commonwealth Minister of Defence, who stated that the pick of Australia's manhood was being stricken down, and to every man worthy of the name there came tlfe call from Gallipoli. To maintain units already at the front at their normal strength, Australia is pledged to the supply each month of 5300 soldiers; to strengthen the forces fighting so gallantly and suffering so severely even more men will be required. The immediatD appaal is for sufficient men to reinforce the army at the front. The intentions of the authorities, howlever, go further than this Australia's offer, according, to the Minister for Defence. is unlimited, or at least limited only by the number of eligible men who are willing to come forward. Senator Pearce's statement was made in answer t<j a question as to whether it was intended to organise any additional infantry brigades for service abroad. He said: "We contemplate sending as many infantry brigades as we can get men for.. If, after supplying reinforcements which it is our duty to supply, sufficient men come forward to constitute further infantry brigades, they iwill undoubtedly be sent." At the beginning of last week the minimum height for Australian recruits was reduced by one inch to sft. 3in., and the minimum chest measurement from Win. to 33in. The official statement issued in this connection is as follows :— "Recruiting has shown a marked falling off lately. "Although no new units may at present be under organisation, it is' vitally important that thero should be no shortage of recruits for reiiforcements. Here may be some idea abroad that enlistment for reinforcements is not so nor nearly so important as .'•otment for a definite unit. This- is t :o incorrect. It is far more neces.y that reinforcements be provided .•ven than new. units at present. Reinforcements are urgently required to maintain units steadily at the front at their nonnal strength. Men must be forthcoming without delay to replace those fallen, and to support and Strengthen the gallant Australians fighting in Gallipoli. "Men enlisted for reinforcements must have at least three months' training before embarkation. One draft of reinforcements is at present nearly 2000 short of requirements. To maintain units now at the front Australia is pledged to provide, each month 5300 soldiers, the requirements in each . State monthly being as follow.; — Queensland ' ' 700 New South Wales ' 1,700 Victoria 1,700 South Australia 600 Western Australia 500 Tasmania 200 . "To maintain this average ' every jingle man in Australia with the following qualifications must decide with buns'self whether or not he is prepared to i.make the necessary sacrifice:— - Age, 18 to 45 years. Chest measurement, 33in. Minimum' height, sft. 3in. "The height standard given above is lin. less than hitherto. "Men do not enlist for a monetary consideration, hut there are those who have dependents to provide for. The following are the rates of pay:— Lieutenant 21s. per day ' Sergeant 10s. 6d. per day Corporal 10s. per day Private 6s. per day "Separation allowance is paid to marTiedi members receiving less than Bs. per day, as follows:— (a) For -wife living at home, Is. sd. iper day. (b) For each child under 16 years of age, 4id ; per day. A similar allowance as in (a) is paid to the mother of a member who is solely dependent on him for support. ' "Promotion to commissioned and non-commissioned rank is by competitive examination, and all have equal opportunities. Those who are prepared to devote themselves to study after en- , listment can qualify before embarka- ' tion to fill vacancies, first as non-com-missioned officers, and afterwards as officers. "All newspapers are invited to maintain a standing notice, not as a paid advertisement, at. the heading of their 'daily column dealing--with the Expeditionary Forces, setting forth the standards for enlistment, and the rates of pay and separation allowance." The pension payable to a widow on the death of a member of the forces or to a, member on total incapacity is;— Lieutenant, £91 per annum. Sergeant, £70 p6r annum Corporal, £63 per annum. Private, £52 per annum. In addition on the death or total incapacity of a member, for each child under 16 years of age, £13 per annum. In the case of total incapacity the wife in addition receives half the rate specified above for the respective ranks. I Dlscuslson In Parliament. The need for further forces was discussed in the Federal House on June 4, following on a statement by Mr. Jensen. Assistant Minister for Defence. Mr. J. Cook, Leader of the Opposition, stated: .We have done well but we could have done better. I am sorry to say it. The Empire would take a Quarter of a million men if we could tram and equip them. The wastage ot war at the present rate was 10,000 monthly among Australians, and the Government was only offering five. Mr. Jensen: Many of those men are only slightly wounded, and will be back in the firing line in a few days. Mr. Cook : There is no suggestion offered by the Government to maintain effective strength in the field as far as I can see. Something must be done. Mr. Jensen: We are sending reinforcements. Mr. Cook: Your appeal this morning shows you are not even coming up to the number needed for reinforcements. We are not doing enough either in men and munitions considering the scale and and lenirth of this war. The 100,000 men in the field is the ideal to be aimed at, and is only a moderate quota for Australia when we contemplate what this war means to us. You are not using the powers you have got. You are only using these things for political capital. 1 am not sure whether the time has not arrived for the registration of all men under 60. I ao not say mobilise; but the fact remains that the flower of our men are going to the war, and justice very soon will require that we do something in this direction, and not leave it to able-bodied males to please themselves absolutely whether or not they will help to defend the very realms of justice. Why should we send the flower of our young men and allow others to remain in safety here because* tbev will not realise their responsibility P Mr. Tudor: Do vou want conscription ? Mr. Cook said it will be sufficient, for the present if we call the muster toII, and so provide for the utmost exigencies of defence. The Act of 1901 con-

fers the necessary powers of conscription for the purpose of national safety and national war. The time is not far off when we shall have to register our men and call the muster roll in order that we shall do our full duty in this war. >\e must mobilise not only our men but all our resources. The '"Sydney Daily Telegraph," in commenting on the Minister's appeal, says:—"There is a bitter need of Australian reinforcements at the Galipoli Peninsula to fill up the gaps that German and Turkish shot and shell have made in; the ranks of the troops who are pressing onwards towards Constantinople. These troops are making slow headway just now. The able-bodied young men in this State can easily make a mental picture of our Australian troops battling bravely on in the toeth of the storm of lead and steel, wondering_ after every fierce engagement, in which each foot of ground that is gained is paid for by a soldier's life, Iw long it will be before the eagerly-desired 10 inforcements arrive to strengthen the weary firing line. It is hard to believe that any able-bodied young Australian in. this State can gaze upon that mental picture unmoved."

A truce in party strife is urged by the Melbourne "Argus" in its editorial comment, which concludes as follows:— "How can young Australians be expected to fully realise the stupendous nature of the crisis in which we are involved when they find political leaders far more intently be/rt on seeking party triumphs than in ensuring a successful ending to the warp It is a pregnant aphorism in tropical countries that houses should not be repaired in the hurricane season. Nation after nation is joining, in the war, which is being waged in defence of principles and policies which go down to the very foundations of civilisation—principles the defeat of which will mean a setback to democratic progress for a century. Yet in the midst of the unprecedented convulsion we are engaged in party wTanghng. . . . All the patriotism and sense of duty should not be displayed by those who back these feelings with the supreme 6take of their lives. Mr. Fisher should arrange with Mr. Cook for a truce to party politics and invite him to join in the great work that lies before the whole of Australia.."