A FAILURE

Hokitika Guardian, 7 March 1931, Page 6

A FAILURE

VOL UNT ARY TE AININ G

AUSTRALIA'S AiILJTIA

SYDNEY, February 19

It cannot be said that the hope of the Labour Government in Australia that a voluntary militia would fill the place of a conscript army has been fulfilled. The muster at the first camps held since the abolition of the compulsory training system has been very disappointing, and the staffs and officers have been greatly disappointed. Just what the politicians think is not known, for they have been silent. The attendance at home training parades has been just as disappointing, and unless it improves it may be necessary to abolish military training altogether. The paper strengths of the various units is quite satisfactory, but the attendance at camps anti parades is usually about 40 per cent. Divisional officers believe that the economic position is partly responsible for the small attendances at the camps. The depression is blamed for most things these days. However, militia officers report that most of the trainees who were asked to attend the camps said they were dubious about applying for leave, as they feared that they would not find their jobs waiting for them when they returned'. Some extraordinary situations were revealed when battalions were organised at Melbourne camps. One battalion marched in “150 strong, but could muster only seven rifle and Lewis gun men alter the requirements of the vital specialist units, such as machine-gunners, signallers, and other details, cooks, orderlies, and fatigue men, had been filled. The whole organisation was built up round those seven men, who comprised the actual fighting troops of the unit. Another battalion, when organised on a- company basis, could find only f-1 men, whereas normally the company comprises 150 men.

A third battalion marched in with the full strength of one company consisting of five officers, one warrant officer, three sergeants. 10 corporals, and three privates—six leaders to every ranker. To meet the changed conditions in the camp the whole system of training was altered. The object now is to turn out at the end of the camp a nucleus of highly and intensively trained officers, non-commissioned officers, and specialists, and a handle! of privates who will be qualified as lancecorporals or senior privates. All surplus officers and n.c.o’s were brigaded. It is not thought that the scheme will achieve much, for very soon there will be no men to train anywhere in Australia. Soldiering is not popular in the Commonwealth.