AUSTRALIA'S DEFENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 259, 5 November 1904, Page 2

AUSTRALIA'S DEFENCE.

NEW SCHEME FOR THE COMMONWEALTH. MELBOURNE, Nov. 4. Tlie Minister for Defence, in submitting the Estimates, unfolded a now scheme of defence for the Commonwealth. The changes to be proposed are based chiefly on the Swiss system, although not carried out so far as it went. He thought all sides would agree that the Australian farces were to be citizen forces, both army and navy alike. Under the Swiss system nothing was left to permanent forces that could be possibly carried out by citizen forces. The Government proposed to establish a Council of Defence. The Treasurer of the Commonwealth, the Inspector General of the Military Nn,vy Djrocjfcor, and Ghfef lot the General Staff, on the military side, would be the regular members of the board. There would also be consultative members of two kindsrepresentative of the citizen forces and skilled advisers eallwl from time to time. The duties of the Council of Defence would be to discuss questions involving defenco expenditure as a whole. The permanent head of the new department would be the secretary of the Dofenco Council. There would be three military members of the board—Chief of the General Staff, the Deputy AdjutantGeneral, and the Chief of Ordnance, also a finance member, who would be a member of the I'uMic Service. The Naval Hoard would U> drawn from a small force, and would consist of the Minister for Defence only, one naval officer, the Director of Naval Forces, a finance member, und consultative members, including a representative of the citizen forces, l'he Dispector-Gencral would not hold office for longer than four years'.