The Evening Star SATURDAY, JANUARY 7, 1905.

Evening Star, Issue 12395, 7 January 1905, Page 4

The Evening Star SATURDAY, JANUARY 7, 1905.

Mr A. Qv Hat.ts, the famous war corres-

[ pondcnb (familiarly known as l iflcr» Hales), recently Op_kms. arrived in Adelaide, the 60sne of his earliest jotifnalisuo activity, and was promptly interviowed ,by a representative of the 'Observer.' His style in conversation appears to be as vigorou* and tefling as ih journalism or literaturej and promises well for the success of the lecturing tour which he has already projected. We may be bold enough to differ from some of bJfl ctmduskms, and even to deprecate a certain characteristic bias in his utterances (which might perhaps b» described as a bias in favor of tlnpopnlar Views); bttfc admiration is compelled by the boldness and tmconventkmaEty of his methods, as well as by the virile intensity of his thought and style. Fow men can have wjeh so much that! is worth seeing ih so short a space of time; and few have the power of realising and describing what they see with such vivid and effective thoroughness. The study, of warfare has been bis hobby and prepossession from childhood) ahd when lie was a schoolboy, at the time of the FraneoGefmaii Wat, it was his delight to' work out all manner of tactics and military Schemes an his slate. His opportunity came after he had joined <as a private) the first Australian contingent for South Africa in 1899. From the Transvaal he Seat to the London 'Daily News' (as a speculation) a number of articles, including the subsequently famous 'Battle of Magersfontein' and 'Burial of General Wanchope.' The 'Daily Newß' people were acute cnoUgh to detect the mart of genius in the "copy" thus sent oh approval, and Mr Sales was promptly engaged by cable as war correspondent—with results of which most of our readers are probibly aware. After the wax he was engaged to review the Continental and American armies for the same paper, to Study and report on the condition of the British fleet, and to do other important work of similar tendency and significance. He modestly declares that hundreds of men could liitve done as much if they had enjoyed tho same opportunities, but though he may have cause to consider himself "exceedingly lucky," it is permissible to doubt' whether potential authors of ' Campaign Pictures,' ' Camp Fire Sketches,' and 'The VikhJg Strain' ate existing ih their hundreds, mute and inglorious bwitig to the lack of fortune's Smile. Mr Hales was kind to the Adelaide interviewer; furnishing hhn with two columns of highly interesting copy; and we shall reproduce a few expressions' of opinion without much comment Some of the distinguished war correspondent's views run counter to current notions, and in more than one instance we remain unconvinced; but his most daring paradoses have a practical suggestiveuess of their own. Concerning the present war, he believes that "Russia is bound to win in the end," as Ber fighting strength will last longer than Japan's. I want to say that more lies have been circulated about the Russians than were set going about the Boers in the other war. I don't want to depreciate the Japanese in any way. They are spleiitlid, glorious fighters, but the Russians are grand fighters alio. My opinion is that when the two nations pretty well exhaust themselves China will step in and have her whack. But without Chinese intef-

vention Japan must be worn down in. the long ruh. Time -will show, eVen as time has alreadysettled the issue of Port Arthur. " 1 staked "my'reputation in the early part of the "war that the fortress would not fall." It is only fair to note, however* that Mr Hales adds that "the only way it can tie taken is by starving the garrison out," and he would perhape claim to have been justified by the event. It is refreshing to read Mr HakVs wholehearted eulogy of the British Navy. Officers and men,- the first arm of the service is declared to be perfect and capable of beating the combined fleets of the world. This, sounds too good to be true, but says that he means it—with a reservation respecting tie Unascertained value of the French submarines. The British naval officer Is honored as the most perfect specimen of the trained man in the world, while the British bluejacket is saluted as the finest sample o£ a Man "that God ever let live. "If you seratch a German or French ot "Russian ot Turkish sailor, and you find a "soldier; but scratch a British bluejacket, " and I tell you you find a "Viking always—"a great fighter." Someone has to pay for all this enthusiastic praise, and the British Army comes iti for rough treatment at Mr Hales's hands:

The British Army is rotten. lb wants more democratic organisation. Aristocratic influence permeates the whole work of the army in England, and any fellow with an aristocratic aunt cart get a commission more easily than in tho old days when they bought them* The British Tommy is not so good as the bluejacket because you choose the latter when he is a boy, and you see that he is physically fitted for the work; but Tommy can be picked up anywhere, and at any time. He is a fine fighter, though, and, taking him man for man, is as good as anything in the world, just about. There is not enough of him, however, and he is not properly handled. There is no feeling between him and his officers—not a scrap. I don't want to see the feeling growing here of sending young Australians to Sandhurst and other British training establishments, because you will only make dudes and fops of them if you do. You should send them away where they will learn to be fighters. Send them to foreign armies—a few to Russia, a few to Germany, or, better st*!', to Bulgaria, where they are eternally watching the Turks. That is tho place in the world for them, for there they have either got to learn to use their brains or learn to lose their lives. Of course, there is nothing ne-r the indictment of British Army conditions, whtie doubtless there is much that is true; but many competent judges, who have had equally good opportunities for observation, declare that there is a great deal of cSaggeration (not untinged with mere prejudice) in tins sort of talk about "dudes and fops." Be this as it may, there is practical value in the suggestion that Australian officers should be sent to serve in other countries, as the Japanese Were sent. We must quote another striking passage, concerning which there will be much difference of opinion. After declaring that the character and possibilities of Australian defences are known in every detail at Tokio and Pekin—loWtyh better than in Australia hiflt-Jftg that the Japanese and Chinese are work in,' together in this matter, Mr Sales goes oil to explain bis somewhat pessimistic view of the much-discussed yellow peril:— Another thing 1 can tell you that's none too pleasant: the Japs and Chinere Just simply think the Northern Territory of South Australia was made especially for them. They have made up their minds to own it, and they're going to have it. If we are going to keep them out—well, we've got to fight them; and if we went to war with Japan to-morrow they would swamp us easily ,r. six months. I say that in the light of !he „ itwadedjje I gained from-the defence ,uut

rtp by the Boers against the British j Japan ,15 only a few daytf-steam from the Northern Territory, and they eduld pour in a quarter of a million men arid rlever know it, and if need be they cdfcld Sfe' another eonplo of million from Chirk Theft Is no sympathy to be had from Ehglahd against such a. movement beeaOse the English capitalist looks at'it m this Way: Australia has not done ally thing to enconrage a white potulation so tjc best thing to do is lo get in a yellow population for cheap labor I te'l *mAustralia has got to -wake ttp, aid that ptetty sooii, for- the Japaaesefmd Chinese will dictate terms to her whether JapMi oorma out victorious against Russia or not. I

Is this a chapter oUt of the naval "novel" trhich Mr Hales says he has not yet had lane to write? It is capital as fiction, bttt happily quite inconsistent with the view of Japanese policy and aspirations that is tak.«i by more experienced and perhaps, m some respects, more capable thinkers, it is a fitting prelude to tile finai remarki "I in"tend, if all goes well, to give lectures •j throughout Australia, but I may get a "cable any moment which will mean that 1 "will make for fort Arthur. If that cable " comes, and 'flesh and blood can get inio a the fortress, you can bet vour life lam "going to get in. If word does not come, "however, I shall lecture all right ; ' has we shall hope to see nnd hear the famous war eorrespdndeiit iti Dultedin before long.