AUSTRALIAN OFFICERS

Otago Witness, Issue 3325, 5 December 1917, Page 49

AUSTRALIAN OFFICERS

AMONG BEST IN THE WORLD. MUST NOT GO OUT. There has como to the surface in this war a cerrnin number of Australian officers, who would rank amongst the best in any army in the world, writes Captain O. E. W. Bean, Australian Press Representative with the Commonwealth Forces. Any army in the world would be glad to have them. They have been trained in such a school as was never known beforo nor will bo afterwards—from these three years of this searching, methodical, modern business of war. Australians bring peculiarly fresh and vigorous brains to it. In some cases these more than made up for their rawness in experience. And the result is a very good officer indeed. MEN WHO WOULD RISE.

In-the armies of the British Empire there is a big field for these men. In the British Army or the Indian Army some of them would stand a good chance of coming to the top where the top is high enough to be the natural goal of any man's ambition. The British authorities have been generous to Australians and men from other dominions in this war. In entry to some of the British war services it has been an advantage rather than a disadvantage to coma from ono of the outer nations of tho. Empire. There is a genuine warmth of feeling behind this attitude. It has not been mainly based on iself-interest.

There is a strong current of opinion in Groat Britain which would like to see biff Imperial services outside Australia in spite of the fact that thev would be in competition with the sons of Englishmen and others with whom those services are at present mainly filled. There is something sincerely generous in thi« desire. At tho same time one has no hesitation in saying that it. is not in the interests of Australia that it should be fulfilled. It is riot in her interests that the bigcrest prizes for Australians should b« outsida Australian eervice. And in the present stace of her growth, with lier immense problems of development in front of her, it is with the greatest concern that far-seeing Australian* would see an exodus of her best brains anja energy even into the services of other parts of the Empire. The searching, bitter, ruthless tests of war have brought brains and energy to the surface in a way quite unknown in peace. That is one of the few important incidental advantages thnt Australia can get from the war. anart from the one great main nurpoise of the war itself. Tho need of Australia after the war wil] certainly be for all the men of abiltty and enterprise and tried character that she can obtain : she will need to bring them in —not let them go out. OFFICERS FOR FLYING CORPS.

Tho policy of Australia hag been clear and unquestionably very wise. It has been openly and defiantly laid down that jt J* against Australian policy for Australians to go from tho Australian Imperial Force into the Imperial service. There was a time when Australians wounded from Gallipoli were being taken in as officers of the new army in England in considerable numbers. The committeo of the Royal Colonial Institute busied itself especially in helping this work, with the simple wish of'helping our countrymen. It may have been helping our countrymen, unwittingly. It was not helping our country. The Australian Government, at the risk of seaming ungracious, put an end to these transfers. At a later date there came a very special request from the British Government for the relaxation of this rule in the case of officers for the Royal Flying Corps. The Australian Imperial Forces, like every\other party of the forces of the British nations,. is under a heavy debt to the Flying Corps, and the work is so important, and tho British authorities have been so ready to help the Australian Force in a thousand other matters, that tho Australian Government was unquestionably wise to relax its rule In fairness they, too, were bound to make a concession, as the men were needed for our common struggle. The only question is perhaps whether some arrangement might not have been made in regard to tho 200 eager, high-spirited young Australians who were finally picked to go into . training to qualify for transfer into the British Flyintr Corps, even at the cost ol paying for them and retaining them as members of the, A.I.F. It is uncertain to what extent they will return to Australia, and their deeds will be hard to identify as thoso of Australians in the history of tneir country. KEEPING THE BRAINS IN THE SERVICE.

A certain number of Australians—a very few I believe—have been allowed to enter the'lndian army. It probably cannot be said that the exodus has so far gone beyond the bounds of what was right and necessary in fair dealing with the British, who have undoubtedly dealt well and fairly bv us. But it is advisable and urgent that there should be, if possible, prizes and attractions for brains in the service of Australia as well as outside of it. and that we should make it our settled .ppl-oy to keep for Australia whatever of ability and character the service in our force has brought to the top. And it is advisable that it should be done now, while- the possibility for selecting the best still remains perfectly easy, and whilst the common knowledge of the force marks out at least some scores of youngsters for obr-ous distinction. Those for whose brains Australia can find no military use are eqUalby valuable for other callings. Most of them want nothing better than to return to Australia But whether they wsh it or whether they do not, it is a gainst our interest to let them go. .