LORD KITCHENER'S SCHEME

Colonist, Volume LII, Issue 12722, 18 February 1910, Page 2

LORD KITCHENER'S SCHEME

F URTHER PARTIC ULARS

SWEEPING CHANGES IN PER-

SONNEL,

SMALL ARMS FACTORIES AND MILITARY COLLEGES.

[Press Association — Cory right. J

Melbourne, J-'eb } >>. Tlie main portion of Lord Kitcdor.f.r;s report on Australian Uefen.es will be available for public ison iv a few days, and will be a conud^uul report as well as a document embening advice on the question of organisation.

It is understood that the carry.n^ out of the recommendation in the /c---port will involve a great increase in the military estimates. Some swaepuig changes in personnel! will bo inaOe, and while the scheme fits into the new Defence Act as far as main principles are concerned, some imporvit amendments will have to be ma le to give full effect to it.

The scheme proposes to abolish military districts, and to regroup the. militia and compursorily trained levies after a plan having special regard to strategical considerations. The repo.i; supports in expanded form the Government's scheme for the establishment of small arms and cordite factories and military colleges, and it is said to favour the acquisition of the Colonial Ammunition Company's works, or otherwise the complete Governmental management of cartridge making. "*

There are aCso proposals for the increase of ammunition reserves in all parts of the. Commonwealth, ' the creation at various centres of a given number of self dependent fully equipped array corps capable of movement at any moment to a.ny clanger point. It recommends the fortification cf several independent coastal points and the close association of railway systems with the defence organisation, and advocates the early construction of a trans-Continental railway.