General Hamilton

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 197, 18 February 1914, Page 5

General Hamilton

INTERVIEWED AT SYDNEY. HIS WARNING TO AUSTRALIA. By Cable—Press Association—Copyright Received 17, 8.10 p.m. Sydney, February 17. General lau Hamilton has arrived. Interviewed, he said: 'lt is certainly my object to standardise the forces within certain limits. If you get totally different descriptions of units trained in tactically different maimers .you do no good. For example, if units are supplied with different kinds of ammunition it is very detrimental to the efficiency of the combined forces. At the same time each branch of the nation lias its own characteristics, usually well suited to the military tactics that would develop in their own countries. Therefore considerable latitude must be allowed."

Speaking at the Lord Mayor's reception, he said there had arisen in the Pacific basin forces and nations formerly negligible, now assuming formidable proportions. It might be that the next place for the great military struggle would be in the Pacific. If they cast their eyes round they could see a ring of armed nations with Australia in the middle of the ring. Those nations were looking in a formidable manner at Australia, and it was important that the people of Britain should know that the people here were not waiting until the danger absolutely arrived, but were taking time by the forelock.