MILITARY NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 11110, 6 May 1911, Page 12

MILITARY NOTES.

[Edited Bt Echelon.] DEFENCE ADMINISTRATION, CniTICISM IN AUSTRALIA. When tho Melbourne "Age" sees fit to direct the lire of its criticism at an administration, it may bo safely assumed that its views ar,o based upon a very complete-knowledge of the facts of the case iu question. This influential Australian journal has recently given publicity to a criticism o£ the Federal Defence system, tho general principles of which are tho samo as the Now Zealand defence system, though in matters of detail, and minor policy questions, there is a divergence. Tho general resemblance between tho two is, however, sufficiently intimate to entitle tho "Age's" criticism to something moro than casual attention in New Zealand:—"The key to the military part of Australia's defence administration," says the "Age," by way of preface, "is the application in detail of tho scheme of universal training approved by two Parliaments, and ratified by a general election. It that scheme be wisely and carefully applied by Australiau officers, knowing Australian conditions, and experienced .in tho handling and training of Australian men and Loys, all is likely to be well witfi the methods of creating a new citizen army. If at a critical stage the scheme bo placed uuder the direction of imported officers, fresh from England, or but slightly acquainted with our national characteristics and limitations, serious disappointment must inevitably iolknv."

The "Power Behind." "The Minister for Defence has not exactly placed universal training under tho direction of the imported Inspector-Gen-eral, but that will probably bo the effect of his policy. He has reallotted the duties of the Military. Board in such a way that the main portions of the work.of preparing for the universal training scheme is transferred from its author, LieutenantColonel Leggc, Quartermaster-General, to Colonel Wallack, Adjutant-General, an officer whose term on the board has been temporarily extended to ■ October next. There is no direct statement in the new regulations giving Major-General Kirkpatrick, Inspector-General, control. The intention is that the English major-general shall have the control all the same, through his position as secret adviser to tho Minister, and through tho obligation now thrown on the board to post him up weekly with its doings and to refer afi loading appointments to him for advice and recommendations. Indeed, it is betraying no secret to say that the imported major-general is already in command of the machinery in connection with universal training, and that he inspired the rcallotment of duties which was forced on tho Military Board a few weeks before its passage as an official regulation by tho Federal Executive Council, The exchange of Lieutenant-Colonel Legge for Colonel Wallack and the direction that the former shall prepare regulations for universal training only 'in consultation with the Adjutant-General' was part of a cleverly worked plan to give the Inspector-General that foster parentage of the new universally trained citizen army of Australia which the Minister for Defence seems to approve.

A Kitchener-Legge Scheme. "That tho Minister himself felt souso qualms about the course ho was taking was evident from tho eulogistic references he made to Lieutenant-Colonel Legge when making public the 'reorganisation' of the Military Board. His action at the present' stage or' the initiation of universal training is one- of the most inexplicable pieces ot adininistiativfc lolly of which the Minister has been guilty. What lies behind the whole of tno Minister's policy, apparently, is the idea that as the ln-spector-Uoneral was staff officer to Lord Kitchener when tho British h'eld marshal was writing his report of last year, tho 'Kitchener man' should have, through intonuedinvies 'iif-fiht directly, tho control of all tho steps taken to carry out or vary tho advice given in that report. But this contention will satisfy nobody in the Commonwealth forces or in the Commonwealth Parliament who knows tho facts concerning both the Kitchener report and tho policy on which it was based. Senator I'earce knows, and ilr. Joseph Cook, his predecessor, knows that LieutenantColonel Leggo, an Australian, was far more responsible for all that was practicable in the Kitchener report than the Knglish stall" officer; and both politicians know well that the main details of the entire broad policy of universal training was devised ior tho Federal Government by Lieutenant-Colonel Leggo long before Lord Kitchener was invited to Australia.

"When Parliament approved that broad policy it was Lieutenant-Colonel Lcgge who was placed at the Minister's right hand to assist in its execution. Every man in the forces knows that it was to Lieutenant-Colonel Leggo that Lord Kitchener frequently tuninil during his clay in Australia not merely for information but for assistance as to vital details. In the opinion of niuo men out of ten iu the army the Kitchener report, except in some tnreo or lour comparatively minor items, is as much a Lcgge report as a Kitchener report. Lord kitchener gave, in fait, his imprimatur to expansions in the scope and organisation of universal training which in essence dated back to Sir Thomas Ewing's regime. All that- is common knowledge. When, too, Loi\l Kitchener had rendered this country magnificent service and had gone, Lieutenant-Colou<>l Lcyge, as Director of Operations under the ■ Chief of the .Crucial Staff, undertook the main task of organising the registration, equipment, am! training arrangements for (ho new scheme. Ho was placed on the Military Board for this special work.

Horses Swapped in Mid-Stream. "jSow, suddenly, the ilimster has taken out of the lianas oi tho Australian me main direction of the scheme, split up responsibilities amongst several olticor>, ami undertaken co-ordiuation hiinseli with the Kngtisli Inspector-General at bib elbow. A premium is put on mistakes anil confused counsels. Horses are swapped while the delenco forces aro crossing tiic stream, and a change is made whien may become a necessary proposition in l!)li'-1913, when tlie lirst dratl irom tho Senior Cadets enters tho new Citizen Army, bat which in the present transition Dcriod is unwise at least. Lord KUchi'ivM saw tho danger of allowing Uie initiation ol the scheme to drift into incapable or unsympathetic hands. I'nder tho hearing "Xrautitiou l'eriod" he wrote:— , . .

" 'If the svstem I have recommended in Part I (of ius report) is accepted by t'lt! Commonwealtn Government, a ptrind ul transition must elapse before it comes into complete working order, (luring which much may bo done to make or mar the scheme. II- would, there-fore, be of great importance, that the working out of thG details during this lime should be placed in charge of one or more officers who thoroughly understand the scope and the spirit oi thfe system lor the land defence of Australia which 1 have proposed.' "The policy of giving control to the Inspector-General, pursued by the Minister of Defence with respect to (he functions of the Military Board and the direction of the development of universal training, has n .' fo ' )M,l followed with respect to appointments to all the chief posts in the citizen forces. tr> coniinaiulnntships, to positions on the headquarters and district Mail's, and to regimental commands. Not conient with the power conferred in a regular way upon the in-spector-General by mvou o" his connection with the Promotion Hoard, the Minister lias been it pains to transfer from the Military Board to himself and to that ofiieer Ihe control of practically every appointment abovo the rank of major. The board may hav-c a fuller ami wider knoivledso of the men than either the Inspector-General or the political head and Ihe En dish majnr-Rcnoral who arc- to have the final word. Whittling the Control, "When the Military Board was first instituted promotions were recommended to the Minister after ■receiving advice from the Inspector-General, the Deputy Adjutant-General and two oilieors of the militia forces Subsequently, when in office in 190S-1009—when in fact he was an absolute novice in administration—Senator Pcarce altered this plan, and brought in a system of recommendations in each State by a distinct military committee, which recommendations were lo po to the Military Board afterwards. Two or three

months ago there was again an ancraliorT apparently with the aim of furllicr einng tho control by the Military Boini A new Promotion Hoard was constituted, of (1) the inspector-general, (2) tho od ul-ant-ECiieral, and (3) the senior district conmiantiant. The advice of tho new Promotion Board does uot go to tho Militaiy Board, but direct to tho Minister. When tho Minister has conridtred and accepted the advice of tho Promotion Board, and it lias boon decided to gazette (ho promo* liojis, then tho Military Boar.l will, probably l>t graciously permitted to bo infnrmed of what has been done. Although its behests—or, rather, under the new regime, tho behests of the Inspector.General via (he.Minister—have to bo (jmetited by (ho promoled men, it cannot ;ia of rijlit intx'ivcne to block tho most unsuitable appointments, temporary pr pprmaincnt. It may, however, recommend (he dismissal of an officer. I'n other words, the new Promotion Board is lo do the pleasant work without any responsibility for results; tho Military Board is to do the dirty work. 1

There is much to bo said for a genuinely representative Promotion Hoard, which can consider changes of personnel with a single eye to efficiency. It has been urged that a system providins a separate Promotion Board plus tho Minister secures independence of judgment and a fair go to every man in (ho service. Everything depends on the composition of such n board. If its president, tho Inspector-General, wcro entirely mvorced in practice as well as in theory from administration, and all senior commandants were not in a specially delicate position as regards any Inspector-General, there would bo much in this argument. If the third member of the Promotion Board be a strong man, there is still & saieguard against embarrassing log-rolling or special cases. If not, then the' Promotion Board resolves itself inta tho In* spector-Gcneral, plus approval- by th« Minister.

Patronage in tho Army, ' In other words, patronage iu tho army becomes in fact, though not in form, concentrated into the hands of two men— the one an imported military man, whoso nominal position, howover great his capacity, makes him a critic and not a responsible administrator; tho other, a politician, who can always shelter himself behind "my expert advisers." This situation is obviously open to grave objection. If any board should control military appointments, it should bo one of experts whose relation to one another is that of real equality. Except when the experts differ as to the merits of particular officers, the Minister should leave appointments and promotions alone. Ho should be guided entirely and solely by tho Military Board. Only the other day an appointment was practically forced on the Military Board by the Minister and some unknown outside influence. The board succeeded, in having the appointment made of a temporary character, but the reintroduction of tho officer has caused much dissatisfaction in the forces. These "special cases" are bound to multiply when it is seen that the Military Board is not the controlling agency in promotions and appointments; but a email committee, which, in the ,last resort, means tho Minister and the Insneo tor-Geueral.