Australia's Defence

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 3, 22 May 1914, Page 5

Australia's Defence

PRAISE FOR THE INDIVIDUAU SOLDIER.

FROM GENERAL SIR lAN HAMILTON. By Cable—Press Association—Copyright Sydney, May 81. General Hamilton, dealing with compulsory training, says it is no use pretending that cadet training has already justified itself as a full substitute for prolonged adult recruit training. Insufficient allowances were made by critic* for the difficulties -inevitable to the inauguration of the original scheme, but the difficulties would grow less each year. If the Empire understood the full significance of the Australian experiment prayers would continually be offered for its success, but since most people ia the Northern Hemisphere had been carefully misinformed by interested fanatics, Australians would have to trust to their own good sense to pull the business through. With courage and pereeveranee they may yet be able 'to i boast that they have showed the way to the great military Powers to Taise powerful armies with the minimum tax on the priceless time of the adult male worker, The Australian solkler was very amenable to discipline. The best asset* of the army to-day are the sol- j dier-like spirit, intelligence and the wiry frames of the rank and file. He strong- | ry advocates the formation and development of military aviation, and suggests a pension scheme for the permanent! force*. j