MILITARY TRAINING

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 138, 7 December 1912, Page 7

MILITARY TRAINING

AUSTRALIA'S CITIZEN ARMY OPPOSITION TO ENGLISH OFFICERS MOTION IN FEDERAL SENATE. By Telegraph.— Press Association.- Copyright. MELBOURNE, 6th December. In the Senate today Senator M'Dott* gall, of New South Wales, moved that as a matter of national policy the Australian citizen army should be entirely composed of Australians} and ltd by officers raised from the ranks ; but that the engagement of an Imperial officer of general rank as an Inspector-General should be allowed. Mr. M'Dougall declared that the imported English officers had a wholehearted contempt for the Australian of' fleers, and every imported officer meant that an Australian lost his chance of promotion. Senator Pearce, Minister for Defence, said he did not oppose the motion, because it expressed what was being carried out. He explained that the imported officers were exchanges. He had been told that immense benefit had been derived by exchanges. The debate was adjourned. RECALCITRANT CADETS. TO BE DEALT WITH BY PROVOST STAFF. (Received December 7, 10.15 a.m.) MELBOURNE, This Day. Mr. Pearce" ( (Minister for Defence) states that he is creating a provost staff to deal with recalcitrant cadets, ihstead of the work being done ijy the ordinary police. LORD ISLINGTON INTERVI&WED. SUCCESS OF NEW ZEALAND'S SGHE.JVIE. SYDNEY, This Day. Lord Islington in an interview referred to the" general prosperity of 'New Zealand. Cottiputeory training, he said, was now on an established footing, but there waa still a certain amount of resistance, but amongst a diminishing minority. The hostility to training camps was also dying out. AGAINST COMPULSORY SERVICE. STATEMENT ByIJeCRETARY FOR WAE. LONDON, 6th December. Colonel Seely, Secretary of State for War, in addressing the London Scottish Regiment, defended the Territorials, and declared that the people had a deepseated objection to compulsory service, and any attempt to base the defence system upon compulsory enlistment Would be madness. Even if compulsion were possible, it wduld take years to provide an efficient engine of war by means of it. The Government, said Colonel Seely, had not the slightest intention of adopt ing the principle, but would foster the Volunteer principle to the utmost. It proposed to complete the organisation of the National Reserve, which now totalled 170,000 men. He hoped that all patriots would abandon a barren controversy and join in fostering voluntary national service.