Grey River Argus and Blackball News. PUBLISHED DAILY TUESDAY, APRIL 26TH,1910.

Grey River Argus, 26 April 1910, Page 4

Grey River Argus and Blackball News. PUBLISHED DAILY T UESDAY, APRIL 26TH,1910.

-That a feeling of hostilities should prevail in certain quarters in Australian military circles against the • appointment of Colonel Kilpatrick is a obmmon feeling: in the colonies, though It is not . exactly logical. There is always more ; or less dissatisfaction agajnst importing persons for any high office at the disposal' bf^.;Governineht. It is seen in regard to m<ist appointmenifcj, ,froni -that'; pf : - tiie^ Governor downwards. Th^cVy^isViisuany 1 raised, whether warran%d^6r^pfe'-that plenty of as, suitable., men* Cf 6^ : most offices can be found m : 4He'?Ct>}<>nieS s -as anywhere else. ■ 'TMi-^^ay: be-;s&- bocasionally, but is''le«fcJ?Kker|^to bje t^i'case in regafd'^-tp high .militaly a^jyofn't-ments-than in other matters. Th'e^b^ject in^'making all important appoifife- i ments^Kould obvipusty be the; selecti&ii I of pelr^iisf^of bhe greatest exp'erie'nWe and natural ability^^- : --The hostiii%! with 'wfif ch important ' Sppointnien^ ' are so* often' vie ; wed, •when';'fille^^f|Bn^ outside, ss only a variati%^ di\ %lfat narrow p'aVoohi&l'?^eli^. > t6ai r: d6V seen so frequently l iri- I ;"t&^Do^ifiiM^i r h the jealousy shown^&i&i/he^ cwn^osition of overy- new Ministry if the so-called claims of the >North' and South Islarfd 1 espectively are npt duly considered: It matters not a, '■■ whit 'whether the representatives ' are" suitable to be' Cabinet Ministers or- not. Though Colonel Kalpatrick comes from; outride AustMia, he ; i^ ; not' an : importation from Home. He l 4s' a native of ' Cahadaj ! who hao devoted himself- to the 1 military art , as a profession, ■: and is said to have had a brilliant career. Although Aye are told that ( there is considerable indignation in 'Australia among mifi'tary officers over the appointment, we make no doubt thai -it was made in the interests'of the country 1 and with a : full k!no\7ledge of the : ability and status of th£' Australian military men avail-able.-It would be ■Jsurprising if some 5 of th« Labour members " did not also take -%reat -exception to the appointment. They are rather noted for, their hostility to importations ' of • any- kind, whether in the shape of' humani beings or commodities. That iclass •of I'abpur enthusiasts generally exceed the; limit in. everything in which native industry may be s"aid to be' in any" wayi interested. Their idea is that Australia and all it contains shouM go- to the Australians; and the only Australians iii; their eyes who are worth bestowing, a thought V, on are the Labour Party. Part of the hostility manifest ed is based on the assumption— and not one very worthy or generous-^is that , the appointment was arranged after, the Government knew that it would be defeated;. It does not seem t d ; haye occurred to those dissatisfied Labour members that the Government may have asked' the advice' of Lord Kitchener in 1 so- important a matter. He had been inquiring into the ques-' tioh of the defence ! of ' Australia, > and had Colonel Kilpatrick as an aesociate;Vand being the foremost military figure in thsf Empire, his, very position would causes his advice to be sought; as ;being'the most' competent pefson. to give advice regarding ; the appoint^ merit ; of an Inspector-General of the Force's of Australia. The rocal jea^ lousy of feeling that is being displayed over the appointment may be 1 quite natural, but, as the : Morning Post sa^s, it is not logical. Australia^ wants- the most 1 competent military 6r ganiser^ H^iat-can -be? obtained; ter- where- he- comes- fromr Whilß* it • is perfectly proper to encourage local ability to every reasonable extent, lo! cal talent is not always of such ;a high Standard as; to meet alf national! requirements. Very little weight need! therefore be~ attached . to the grumb-i lings because an Australian 'was not: made the military organiser for Australia in the bringing into operation of the scheme of national defence recommended by Lord Kitchener. The filling of so high an office and one of such momentous importance to the Commonwealth is one that should not depend upon an outcry begotten of- a feeling^ of wretched parochiialism, ' such as is now working such mischief to China. "\ •■: -■;■■'. .: ; :;... - : : ■:;.... ••;■- '