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COMPULSORY MILITARY TRAINING IN AUSTRALIA.
(Daily Press, October 2nd.)
It is not mere politeness or affection that dictated the statement, which has becom a truism, that Great Britain could learn much from her Colonies. The freedom from tradition, from
precedent, which the inhabitants of these young countries grow ing up under the protection of the Union Jack enjoy naturally lead to originality of thought and action and make for greater progress than in a land where the dead hand of the past is felt. For weal or woe the mother country has followed the example off its off-spring by inaugurating a system of Old Age Pensione. Female suffrage and temperance legislation are other matters in which it is thought the parent should be led by the child, but a disinclination to follow is shown by the progenitor which elicits praise or condemnation according to the view of the individual. Now, while Britain is struggling with the solution of the vexed question of army reform and is endeavour ing to avert the conscription or compulsory system which is regarded as inevitable, Australia claims attention by a proposal to make military training universal and compulsory in the Commonwealth.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
better model could have been chosen, and, | speaking without a knowledge of the de- tails, there seems to be no reason why the effective force which the promoters of the policy have in view should not be raised in the manner contemplated. There will always be those who decry any form or expression of militarism, those who preach the gospel of non-resistance, but their policy, or rather their philosophy does
not commend itself to the majority of people who prefer to deal with practical matters in a practical way. Almost everyb dy realises nowadays that the best guarantee of peace is preparedness for war. Unpre- paredness is a temptation to others, and is therefore to be deplored from more than one standpoint. In Britain itself, where the question of army reform has been very acute since the termination of the Boar war, conscription has been suggested, but though the idea is repellant to the nation at large, there are fortunately those who risk unpopularity by emphasising the weak- ness of our defence and declare that some
The cable which we published from our London correspondent yesterday announced that a Government Compulsory Military Training Bill had been introduced into the Commonwealth Parliament. Of course, it does not follow that the Bill will become law, but the introduction of the measure indicates that those entrusted with the government of that country realise the responsibilities of the offices they bold. It is part of the general scheme of defence to which the Government have practically committed themselves. A few days ago we referred to the naval policy which had been ratified by the British Admiralty. It provided for the establishment by the Australian Common- wealth of a flotilla of submarines and torpedo-boat-destroyers with harbour forti- fications. This would constitute the secon! line of defence, the first being the command of the high seas by the British Navy. The third, and by far the larger portion, refers to the military defence. As Australia is no longer considered outside the area of the world's conflicts, it is obvious that she must be prepared for all possible contingencies, Her vast coast live and large extent of unoccupied territory make t comparatively easy for an invader to obtain a footing on the island continent, and once a landing has been effected, the dangers which threaten her independent existence will be considerably increased. An army is therefore a necessity, and as the voluntary system has not produced the force which experts consider adequate for real defence, it is now proposed to introduce the compulsory system.
form of universal service is necessary. While the continental nations continue their vast standing armies, Britain can never be absolved from the responsibility of main taining a strong defensive force. Lord ROBERTS is preaching the gospel of teaching every male to handle a rifle, and others go further and advocate a citizen army on the lines of Switzerland. Whatever scheme is ultimately adopted there seems to be a growing opinion that every man should make himself able to take an intelligent and effective part in the defence of his country. That being so, the proposal of the Australian Parliament possesses more than local interest. It is an experiment which Great Britain and every part of ber vast empire will watch with something akin
to enthusiasm.
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The Commonwealth Government proposes system of universal training in order to form a National Guard of Defence, in which every young man in Australia shall be required to serve during his nineteenth, twentieth and twenty-first years. Local camps will he formed where the young men will underg training for sixteen days every year, and it is hoped that by this means there will be in the Commonweath
[October 12, 1908.
scheme itself, as it is not improbable that
be should it carried into existence ani found practicable, it may influence people at home and lead to a changed opinion in favour of a universal system of military training which, while adéquate for purposes of protection, dies not contain the objections urged against con- cription. Then we may echo the hope expressed by the Commonwealth Premier that "inter-st in our system of military training and the ambition for proficiency in its several branches will to some extent take the place of those sports on which our young people look and speculate every Saturday without otherwise participating in them."
a body of men sufficiently officered and capable of performing the services which Australia will require from her defenders, Military training will begin in early years. The existing system of junior and senior cadet corps in connection with schools will be extended, so that the material which passes into the National Guard will repre- sent a considerable advance on the ordinary recruits. The bulk of the Guard will consist of infantry, but the artillery arm will not be neglected. One feature of this programme which is not, for obvious reasons, found in the Swiss scheme is that the young men will have the choice up to a certain point of saying whether they will enter the naval or the military force. When the navy has absorbed the smaller number of med which it requires, it follows that the remainder have no option but to enter the land defence, It is anticipated that in eight years there will be over 200,000 men available, and with the cadet system afford- ing a useful subsidiary force the defensive organisation of the Commonwealth ought to be of very satisfactory dimensions aud equipment.
Europe presents the spectacle of a con- tinent in arms. In practically every country either conscription or some compulsory form of military service is in operation, and as we were ourselves reminded last week by the GOVERNOR, all the nations of the world are groaning under the burden of armaments, Having before us a copy of the speech delivered at the end of last year by the Honourable ALFRED DEAKIN, Premier of Australia, in outlining the defence policy of the Government, we note that conscrip- tion is not aimed at in the present We have not dealt with the financi 1 instance. It is rather a citizen army aspect of the question, as the business founded ou the Swiss model and in all acumen possessed by Australians will ensure respects democratic. Where defence is careful inquiry to ascertain that they do not the sole consideration--and no other could
pay too
much for the insurance thus be suggested in the case of Australia—no | obtained. We are more concerned with the
JAPAN AND CHINA.
(Daily Press, October 3rd.) Thoughtful politicians in Japan are evidently becoming much concerned about the un-atisfactory state of the country's relations with China. A few years ago the idea was overywhers accepted that Japan would become the mentor of China and lend the great Celestial Empire swiftly along the paths of progress and reform. But this faith as base on mistaken premises. The affinity between the two races was assumed to be much closer than it really is. Japanistan is in no better relation to China than do the leading Powers of Europe and the United States of America is patent now to the whole world. According to a recent article by the Editor of the Kokumin, one of the most distinguished political writers in Japan, Marquis Katsura, the Premier, re- cognises that as a matter of fact Japan does not stand so well with China as do the
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United States and Great Britain and other
Powers. In leed, the New York Herald's advocacy of a Sino-American Alliance- absurd and impracticable as the project is -ba abundantly served to show that not only among the mass of the people but among the ruling classes the feeling of hostility to Japan is very strong. Mr. ToTUTOMI, the Editor of the Kokumin, explains the nusatisfactory relations of the two countries by the statement that Japan's policy towards China after the war with Russ was too arrogant." "We thought we could move alone and could force China,”
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he says. Well, we have found that policy will not work. The net result of it seems to be the creation of a bad feeling towards Japan in the mind of the ruling classes of China.” Mr TOXUTOMI in this article men. tione that the Premier has talked freely but confidentially with him on the subject, and no body, he adds, has a better understanding of the situation than has Marquis Katsura.
Instead of his government occupying a more aggressive and forceful position to- ward Chua, as some of the Cuinese seem to think will be the case," says Mr. TOKUTOMI, "he will bend every effort to regain the ground that has been lost, to win back China's friendship." Japan's attitude to- wards China is frankly recognised as having been a mistaken one, and now apparently a new policy is to to be inaugurated. The quesion was discussed among other things by the State Council about a week ago, and when Mr.IJUIN, the new Minister to Peking, takes up his duties he will probably initiate the new policy. Japan is obviously anxious to cure a speedy settlement of all out- standing disputes, and sincerely wishful 10 avoid further estrangement. Japan, it is declared, has no desire to pursue a sinister policy in Chius; on the contrary “it will be the aim and purpose of Marquis Katsura and his Ministry to act-in full and complete accord with the other Powers. This, we
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