CANDID CRITICISM.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1197, 4 August 1911, Page 2

CANDID CRITICISM.

AUSTRALIAN MILITARY FORCES. Candid criticism marks a report on the military , forces of Australia by tho Inspector-General, Major-Gcnernl Kirkpalrick, issued by the Acting-Alini.ster ior Defence. The Inspec-tor-General's method of rebuke may be judged from the following example:— "Attendance rolls and books were not pro. perly posted, a circumstance which points to slackness on the part of the administrative and instructional staff officers and non-commissioned officers; and I hope never to have to repeat this remark." A large part of the report is confidential, and lias uot been printed. Tho section issued begins by statin;; that the proportion of pence to war establishments is too low. The establishments are ns follow:—Five light horse brigades, war 10,955, peaco 5512; two infantry brigades, war 11,102, peace 5260; four mixed brigades, war 10,030, peace 488G; garrison troops, war 15,753, peace 9411; unallotted, war 2257, peace 1812. Total, war r>0.2215, peace 27,218. Universal training, profcvcde Major-General Kirkpatrick, will, so increase the peace establishments as to provent tho "watering" which would now take place on augmentation for war. The machinery is not yet complete to render this organisation efficient, Plans for concentration, according to various contingencies which can be foreseen, cannot bo satisfactorily commenced till the war railway council is readv; but the general stall should prepare plans of operation for troops in case of war, and work out their movements by railways. THE FIELD 'aRTILLEBY. Tho field artillery is praised, but bat. tery commanders are urged to make the best uso of the first suitable position, instead of seeking for the best possible position. Tactical training of artillery with other troops is recommended. The electric submarine mining and fortress companies of tho fortress engineers are told that they work by themselves, too. much, and have the entirely unsound custom of leaving their arms in camp when proceeding to work. Attendances of infantry at camps were good, and great keenness' resulted. In many cases ' tho homo training of the company had fieea too theoretical, officers being puzzled when handling their men in open country, but once told, much intelligence was shown in applying the lesson. Companies should go into camps for week-ends. Dealing with the Kifmorc and Liverpool camps, the Inspector-General states:—"ln tho open country there was a tendency to keep too much to the road; in the bush country to movo with too great distances between tho van and main'guards, The former action resulted in battalions coming within effective range in elose order; the latter in unnecessary dispersion of tho advanced guard and lack of close support to the vanguard in tho event of a check. Protection, when halted by day, was often forgotten; when night outposts wero practised too largo a proportion of the force was detailed, and *it was overlooked that at night, in closo country, the movements of a force will be confined to the roads, so that a siniplo system of picketing and patrolling will be sufficient." The 1 array service corps was disposed in camps to reb too much upon the con tractors, but transport columns were well marshalled. Field ambulances wero tactfully efficient, mobilo and ready to tako tho field, but garrison ambulances scarcely so satisfactory. The veterinary corps has neither tho equipment nor sufficient personnel to do justice in tho field to tho professional qualifications of its officors. The motor corps did good work, but tho establishment of. a riding section of motor', cyclists should be considered. "THE PROCESS OP MERGING.' "Mobilisation orders of any value have not been drawn up," states the InspectorGeneral, "except in South Australia." Tho administration of tho universal training regulations has been satisfactory, but' the low percentage: of medical rejections required a careful examination of tho standard sot and methods adopted. It 'should- not.be foi'Rotton«.that,-thc standard of medical examination should be sufficiently high to ensure that the quotas "required in the years to come" aro selected from the fittest lads of their ' year> : The conversion of the volunteer forces into militia has been satisfactorily accomplished, but needless apprehension existed as to the- next stage, which would be. based on Lord Kitchener's recommendation that "the. process of merging the existing units into tho National Citizen Force will be gradual, and I should advise that tho designations and historical associations of tho present regiments should be continued under the ■ now system, in which each regiment should have a territorial title as well as a number. In tiiis. wit> tho c-sprit de con* oi tho militia and volunteers would w transmitted tt the new citizen fon.-o." A de. ficiency of 300 militia officors existed, which is described as serious. Recruit and musketry training aro not begun early enough, nor supervised • closely enough. More trained instructors are necessary, and the' establishment of the school of musketry should bo: no' longer deferred.