AUSTRALIAN NEWS

Southland Times, Issue 20949, 5 December 1929, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN NEWS

NOTES FROM CANBERRA SUSPENSION OF MILITARY TRAINING THE VOLUNTARY SYSTEM (Exclusive from the Universal Service Canberra, Australia.) Canberra, November 24. Following on the Labour Government’s sensational decision to suspend compulsory military training and military camps, the Defence Council called together by the Government to put its scheme of voluntary training has decided that the training of voluntary recruits shall begin almost immediately. The existing army organization is to remain intact. It has been made clear that although the word “suspended" was used in the official announcement which brought compulsory training to an end, the present system, which has been in operation in Australia since 1911, will not be revived while Labour remains in power. Immediately after announcing the Government’s policy, the Prime Minister hastened to Melbourne to preside at a meeting of the Defence Council which includes the Treasurer, the Minister of Defence, Generals Sir John Monash and Sir Harry Chauvel, and the chiefs of the naval, military and air staffs. The council, after a three hours’ sitting, decided to take immediate steps to inaugurate the voluntary system. In an official statement, the Prime Minister said the council had unanimously agreed to the maintenance of the existing army organization as a nucleus, enlistments under the voluntary system to begin at once.

The nucleus organization is the present skeleton force remaining out of Australia’s war time army of about 400,090 men. It consists of four infantry divisions, two cavalry divisions and three mixed brigades and has a total strength of about 200,000 officers and men. Whether it can maintain this strength under the voluntary system is the great question on which the success of the Government's policy depends. One of the most important features of the whole scheme Is the fact that the identity' of the exising units is to be preserved. Ever since the Ministry has declosed its intention to abolish compulsory training, members of these units have feared that the contemplated changes would involve the disbanding of the old battalions and the sinking of the identity of the old regiments into a common force in which the cherished traditions, the battle honours and the service colours presented by the King would be lost to these units J ’for ever. The decision that the old battalions and regiments arc to remain intact has disarmed some of the criticism against its policy. Payment to Trainees. Under the new' system, trainees will receive payment for their services as did the compulsory trainees In view of the fact that a certain quota must be raised at once to enable the nucleus organization to function, the question of making the service attractive to young men of military age has arisen. Good pay, a more attractive uniform, and special concessions of various kinds to trainees are among the methods likely to be adopted to achieve this object. In order to ensure the effective working of the nucleus organization, it is estimated there must be at least 30,000 trainees. The political members of the Council of Defence are hopeful that that number can be enlisted. If this is found impossible, the voluntary' training system will have failed. Though the announcement of the Government’s intentions caused a national sensation, there has been no great outcry, and it is apparent that Labour has a great body of public opinion behind it on this question. There arc sentimental and selfish objections to compulsory training—those held by a certain type of fond mother and by many small business men are typical, and Labour is bidding for their support. Under the Defence Act, employers have to pay for the time spent by their employees in camp and there has always been opposition to compulsory training from people strongly opposed to Labour on other questions. A gratifying willingness among numbers of citizen forces trainees to serve under the new voluntary system has been shown in all parts of Australia. A remarkable instance of this was given by the 39th Battalion at Hawthorn, a suburb of Melbourne. Immediately the colonel announced the decision of the Defence Council, every member present volunteered for immediate service. Sir George Pearce, who was Minister for Defence in the Labour Government which introduced compulsory' military training in 1911, states that the voluntary system will not be a satisfactory substitute. There is no guarantee that sufficient men will volunteer or that those who join up will become efficient. They will please themselves when and how they train and discipline will be difficult to enforce. Employers will now be under no obligation to release their men for military training, he points out. There were 47,000 trainees actually in training when the order came that compulsion was to be suspended. Existing permanent organizations which are to remain will include:—The General Staff, consisting of ten permanent officers of high rank; Department of the Adjutant General, consisting of 16 officers of high rank; Department, of the Quarter Master General, comprising 12 officers of high rank; War Railway Council, and the various field units. Australia and the Singapore Base. It is feared in Australia that now a Labour Government has come into power, the British Government’s announcement of its intention to slow down the construction of the Singapore base is merely the prelude to the eventual abandonment of the scheme. The First Lord of the Admiralty (Mr Alexander) has announced that the dominions have been “informed.” The Australian Prime Minister has admitted that cables have passed between the British and the Commonwealth Governments on the subject, but has not yet made any announcement of policy. It is known, however, that the Labour rank and file is lukewarm if not mildly hostile to the whole scheme, and consequently the present Commonwealth Government would not be likely to offer any objection if the Ramsay MacDonald Ministry seriously proposed to abandon the scheme. It is recalled that when the suggestion was made some years ago that Australia and other dominions should contribute to the cost of the base, Labour made a great outcry against any such suggestion, and prevented any possibility of Australia taking such action. The very fact that the present British and Commonwealth Governments are in office is evidence of a decline of the spirit which inspired the great Singapore scheme. It is important for overseas people to remember that hitherto public opinion in Australia has always been strongly in favour of the project. The advent of a Government, lukewarm or hostile cannot permanently change this attitude. The exPrime Minister (Mr Bruce) has always been a staunch and enthusiastic supporter of the Singapore base. Mr Bruce's Attitude. When in 1924, the Ramsay MacDonald Government announced its intention of suspending the work, Mr Bruce thus spoke to Mr MacDonald: "We are in sympathy with your great ideals, but the methods suggested by you (the abandonment of the base) will, in our opinion, have precisely the opposite effect to that desired by you. . . ‘. Our strength in relation to other Powers has been the basis of the influence for world peace which we have wielded in the world; that strength has depended mainly on the British Navy; its power and nobility. We are convinced that a base in the Pacific is essential to that mobility. The existence and prestige of the Empire will be imperilled without it. We believe that such a result would be a menace to

the peace of the world, and a fatal blow to the League of Nations” The reason why the Commonwealth Government decided to make no cash contribution to the Singapore base was the suspension of work by the first MacDonald Government. Mr Bruce then announced that the money Australia would have contributed would be applied to the building up of her own naval squadron. When the Baldwin Ministry came back to power and resumed work on the base, the programme for the new ships had already been embarked upon, and the money was earmarked. Singapore, in addition to guarding 50 lines of shipping, protects the approaches to Australia from the West and flanks the line from the North. It covers the Burmese and the Borneo oilfields, the source of Australia’s naval fuel supplies; it stands at the entrance to the Pacific, and occupies much the same relative key position in the East that Panama does in the West. That is why thoughtful Australians attach so much importance to it. And while there is much concern in this country at the prospect of another check to the scheme, there is comfort in the thought that about four-fifths of the work has been done, including the permanent foundations upon which the -whole scheme will rest. Though not completed, (he Singapore base is a fact which no Labour Government’s ukase can obliterate. Export of Australian Stud Sheep to be Banned. In view of the serious position caused by the fall in wool values, the Minister for Markets (Mr Parker Moloney) contemplates placing a ban on the export of stud sheep to competitive wool-producing countries such as South Africa. The announcement has been received with mixed feelings. A substantial proportion of sheep men, notably those engaged mainly in breeding, are strongly opposed to any such action which will mean the loss of a remunerative overseas trade, but Senator Guthrie, one of the executives of the w-ell-known firm of Dalgety's, Ltd., and a Nationalist representative in the Federal Parliament, has issued a communication to the Press strongly supporting the proposal. He says that in 1924 he drew the attention of the then Government to the serious effect which the continued export of stud sheep would have ultimately on the Australian industry. Now, Australia’s staple product was being sold at one penny per pound below the cost of production. “A contributing factor to the serious decline in wool values is the increased production of fine quality Merino wool from South Africa,” he proceeded. “Thirty years ago, South Africa produced 300,000 bales of very inferior wool. This year's clip is estimated, however, at close on 1,000,000 bales, mostly of excellent quality wool. This tremendous expansion in production and improvement in quality has been brought about by’ the encouragement given the industry’ in South Africa by' all parties, and the unrestricted and continuous export of high class stud Merino sheep from the Commonwealth. We have thus been making a rod for our own backs. “After thoroughly investigating the position in South Africa in 1924, 1 am more than ever convinced of the danger of permitting our prize stud sheep to go to South Africa. Many claim that it is now too late to take action and that sufficient high-class studs of Australian sheep have been established in South Africa to produce the necessary sires, but of that I have very much doubt. I think that without the continued infusion of Merino stud stock from Australia, the South African flocks would not continue to improve in anything like the ratio that has beeii noticeable during past years. Merinos the Key Breed. “Merinos are the key breed, but if necessary I would support an embargo on the export of other breeds, including Corriedales. Such a move could not be looked on as unfriendly' by South Africa, which strictly’ prohibits the export of Augora goats and of ostriches and their eggs. Aa a matter of fact South African stud breeders have recently taken steps to induce the South African Government to place a heavy duty on stud sheep imported to that country.” The seriousness of the decline in wool values to Australia Is shown by the fact that, whereas growers received an average price of 19.1 Id per lb for the 6,780,000 bales handled by Bawra in 1916-20, the average price for the wool sold in Australia for October this year was only' 10.35 d. per lb. The National Council of wool brokers has, in consequence, decreased the proposed offerings of wool during the pre-Christmas series of sales by 33 per cent. It has been suggested that the slump might be met by prohibiting through the Customs the export of wool which had not been bought on a basis equal to a previously-agreed-upoii average minimum price. Some breeders contend that the proposed export, embargo would play into the hands of manufacturers of synthetic or artificial wools, which constitute the chief menace to the wool industry. The secretary of the Victorian Pastoralists’ Association (Mr S. F. Officer) suggests that if the Federal Government wishes to help the industry it should co-operate in trying to reduce production and manufacturing costs, so that cheaper and more attractive woollen articles can be put before the public. To prohibit the export of stud sheep would, he says, be like shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted. ' Nationalist Breach Widens. The breach in the Nationalist Party, still the strongest. Federal Party opposed to Labour, continues. In consequence of his action in precipitating the election which brought about the downfall of the Bruce Government, the New South Wales Nationalist Executive has expelled Mr W. M. Hughes, the war time Prime Minister. When the Parliamentary Nationalist Party held its pre-sessional meeting, it expelled Messrs G. A. Maxwell, K.C., W. M. Marks and Senator Duncan (N.S.W.I, erstwhile Nationalists, who had supported Mr Hughes. Then (Senator Massy Greene, one of the most able men in Federal politics, promptly handed in his resignation and joined the Hughes faction which proposes to form a new antiLabour Party. Mr J. G. Latham, K.C., who was At-torney-General in the Bruce Government, has been elected Leader of the Nationalist Party and automatically’ becomes Leader of the Opposition in the House of Representatives. His lieutenant is Mr H. S. Gullett, who was Minister for Customs in the late Government. Senator Sir George Pearce becomes Opposition Leader in the Senate. Japan's Embarrassing Gift. ■ The Commonwealth Government is in a dilemma over the gift by Prince Takamatsu, who visited Australia with a Japanese training squadron last year, of 6,000 cherry trees to be planted at Canberra. To decline to admit these trees might hurt the feelings of Japan, but there is an absolute embargo on the importation of cherry trees owing to the risk of the disease known as fireblight, which is said to have exterminated pear trees in America. The Government, first accepted the gift with thanks, announcing that the trees would be kept in quarantine for 12 months, but such an outcry has been raised by fruit-growing interests that it is now re-considering the position, and perhaps Japan’s picturesque gift may have to bo declined with thanks.