AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 57, 1 December 1920, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE

AVIATION RECEIVING ATTENTION ENCOURAGEMENT OF CADET FORCE The Director .of . lliltnry Training, Lieutenant-Colonel J. Ij. Sleeman, C.B.K, M.V.0., 1.G.5., returned from a visit to Australia on Saturday last. Interviewed yesterday, he expressed his regret that no was unaulo to discuss matters concerning the Australian policy of defence. During his Bhort visit, Colonel Sleeman was fully engaged in visiting the various defence offices and establishments at Sydney, Melbourne, Duutroon, and . other smaller centres, in addition to seeing certain of the Hying; schools. He was m,uch impressed with the general attitude of the public towards recruiting for efficient defence, and with Hie great encouragement given to the Cadet Force by the Welfare Committees, St. John Ambulance Association, and other bodies. Aviation, both defence and civil, was receiving great attention at the present time, and it had been definitely decided to establish permanent and citizen force nir units in Australia. The Defence Department was making all preparations for the new scheme of training,, which will be commenced next training year. This fchenio will require all youths of 18 years to perform ten weeks' training in concentration camps prior to being posted to the citizen forces. Australia is a continent about as big as Europe, but is an 'remote as possible from Kuropcan nations. To the north-west of Australia there, ore 750,000,000 people, half the population of the. entire world, and ISO times the population of Australia. In addition, it possesses a coastline of 12,000 Utiles, ns great as the distance from Australia to Great Britain. ' Vbv. Aviation purposes, .£500,000' for military mid .£IOO,OOO for civil aviation, has been placed on tho Estimntes for the coming' year. Every courtesy was extended to Colonel Sleeman' bv the Governments of New South Wales and Victoria, • and by the senior officers of the Defence Department, .who afforded him every opportunity to study the Australian defence system. '. • . '•It is satisfactory to add," said Colonel' Sleeman, "that after studying this system and becoming much impressed by the excellence of .some of the suggestions for the future. I return greatly confident that the New Zealand' Force has been ■ trained ■on sound lines, and that its General' Headquarters School of Instruction at Trenthnm constitute? one of tho finest opportunities for obtaining a universal standard of efficiency yet offered both officers and n.c.o.V »