MISCELLANEOUS.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 4036, 28 June 1884, Page 6 (Supplement)

MISCELLANEOUS.

MILITIAMEN AND SOLDIERS.

Other things go to make up an efficient military force besides organisation, knowledge of the science of war, arms, equipments, and stores. When we have secured this framework according to the most approved pattern, another question—and in many respects tho hardest to get an answer to—remains, namely, what sort of men are they who &_ doing the actual duties of private soldiers? The most perfect engine, after it is bolted to its bed ffnd lined up to perfection, is useless if we always have worthless fuel.for .the boiler furnace, and when corps and batteries are got up to their full.strength on paper, tho last word is, what are the corporal's squads like ? Most judges would have given their opinion that in Victoria there was a prospect of finding good material, and from what may already be seen of the kind of men who aro joining tho militia, and of their disposition to the service, I believe that we shall havo good soldiers.

As far as drill goes, it was to bo expected that Australians would bo quick at picking up that. They adapt themselves to all kinds of sports and pastimes with.great facility, for our young fellows are early taught to look about them, and havo not the vision shut in by walls, so to speak, of custom or conventionality. Ail this is an advantage, especially for artillery recruits, saving time in mastering that formidable table of gun drills which Colonel Walker referred to the other night. But what ismoro important, is that the spirit and temper seem to bo of the right sort. Everyone knows how much depends on what is called the morale of soldiers. Beforo tho Franco-German war ono might have judged of the morale of the French conscripts at tho Boulogne or Chalons camps. It was not good ihon. Frenchmen who havo served in the ranks, and gone through the retreat with Bourbaki into Switzerland, for instance, will tell you, 'Wo had no discipline. That of tho Germans was something wonderful;' which is an odd complaint and confession for private soldiers to make, because discipline depends as much on tho loyalty and self-respect of the individual as ou the system and the rules laid down by the authorities. It may be objected that we can know nothing on that head here,because our men have not been tested by the hardships and demoralising influences of actual service. But I believe that littlo things also show the disposition. In camp or barracks, on parade, even, thero arc general beariug and demeanour which, indicate whether the man has the instincts of a soldier, without which all the drill and the best weapons in the world are useless. If soldiers wero as apt at dissecting their sensations as parsons or professors thoy might tell us what is meant by being a 'good soldier' —which seems to rest on a subtle tradition or sentiment, stronger than tho fear of punishment, handed on from one generation which has filled the ranks to another, gathering something from all records of their comrades' devotion ; and courage everywhere. This all who como under ' the colours' inherit, and it becomes an honour to deserve the name of a good soldier, while the obligation to individual self-respect which it carries shows itself in tho smallest things—even down'to smartness in buttons, belts, gloves, and tho like.

Among the men wo have already got thero appears to bo the right disposition to .comply with discipline, light as it is. I mean, there is no chattering and talking in tho ranks, for the idea is that they aro ut serious business and not masquerading, The more precise and formal organisation of tho'now force tends to keep upthe feeling. There is plenty of desire to get on and master the drills, and individualeinulationtobothebcst in the squad or subdivision, and to make their own squad, the best in the corps. Men seemed ashamed of blunders or failures at drill, and mistakes arise more from over-anxiety and nervousness than from inattention. Some non-commis-sioned officers, are,more 'popular' (though that is not a soldier's word at all) than others, but the popularity goes to'the one who knows his work best.' As to the officers, I believe what men look to is that" they should have plenty of confidence, and give their orders clearly. '■ Men do not mind being ' rated' to any amount, if they go wrong, provided the 'rating' is ad hoc. In the ranks English soldiers are, in oue sense, like a drove of sheep on a rojad—l suppose there'is some pschycological explanation of that—and they

lean on the word of command, and think of nothing else. In skirmishing and open formation it is somewhat different. We need not go into those details now, except to re- j member that in action, when firing rapidly, the dependence on the officers increases. Apparently the military lectures in the Treasury-buildings are very attractive to the Victorian rank and file. Atone drill night recently the officer commanding gave notice, ,to any man who wished to attend, to apply to him for a ticket when drill was over. After the word ' break off/ the whole parade fell in again and asked for tickets en masse. The lecture itself was listened to with attention, and though it fills two columus of The Argus, it was considered by many far too short.

There is no doubt the new militia organisation started somewhat" heavily handicapped. Attachment to the old system, possible jealousy of officers coming from afar, and that distress of novel experiments which characterises such a dreadfully conservative democracy as ours, were all against it. It ought to succeed, however. Possibly there is an idea that the new organisation makes more claims on a man's time and subjects him to severer rules than volunteering". A couple of hours, two or three times a week, is sufficient to pass a man from recruits' drill in a month. It gives healthy and bracing excercise in any case, aud the time can well he spared from billiards or the occupation of 'doing nothing ' at home of evenings. It would bo a pity, again, if tho notion got abroad that the new force is not ssufficiently exclusive or 'high-toned ' to suit some of our young men. ' High-toned ' is a Yankee word —not an English ono, and people who uso it are reported to be very particular about class distinction. There may be something to deter a snob, but I cannot sec anything that a gentleman need be ashamed of,'in standing in the ranks side by side with his own countrymen to learn soldiering. The Duke of Norfolk is a sergeant of volunteers, and for that matter a duke or a dustman may learn many useful things by mixing with all sorts and conditions of men.—Melbourne Argus.