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4. In paragraph 8 it is proposed to divide the Defence Force of each Colony into:---
(a.) "Passive Defence" troops for the commercial centres.
(b.) "Active Defence " troops for the protection of Australian and Tasmanian soil in any manner which may be considered by joint agreement of the Colonies to best conduce to that end.
Such a division appears to the Colonial Defence Committee well adapted to meet the requirements of defence as laid down by the Conference.
5. Paragraph 9 provided for the periodical inspection of both the com- bined "Active Defence Forces" and the separate "Passive Defence Force" of each Colony by a military officer accepted by each of the Colonies of Australia and Tasmania.
Such an appointment appears to the Colonial Defence Committee most desirable. The officer so appointed should, it is considered, be the Military Head for the command of the troops referred to in paragraph 13 of the Scheme as responsible to the proposed Council of Australian Federal Defence for the Military Protection of Australia and Tasmania. His familiarity with the forces of the Colony in time of peace makes his selection for the supreme command in time of war most advisable.
It is also considered that the principle of Federal inspection thus advocated by the Conference with a view to obtaining uniformity of organiza- tion, equipment, discipline, and efficiency might advantageously be extended by the appointment of Federal Inspecting Officers of Artillery and Engineers to assist the Military Head in dealing with these technical arms.
6. With regard to the Inspecting Officer of Artillery, the Committee note that the Commandant of the Military Forces of Victoria, in his Report for the year ending the 30th June, 1895, draws attention to the immediate necessity for the engagement of an Imperial artillery officer to go into and advise upon those questions which only an artillery officer well up to date in artillery matters could deal with. Similarly, the Commandant of the Military Forces of New South Wales, in his Report for the year ending the 31st December, 1893, recommended the appointment of a specially selected officer of the Royal Artillery to command the Artillery Forces of New South Wales.
It is thought that the views of the Commandants of Victoria and New South Wales would be met by the appointment of a well-qualified Federal Inspecting Officer of Artillery at a less expense to these Colonies than would be involved by carrying out their proposals, while at the same time the other Australian and Tasmanian Colonies would also benefit by the suggested appointment.
It will be convenient to refer here to the recommendation of the Sydney Conference--that all the permanent units of Australian artillery existing in the various Colonies should be combined into one Federal regiment. The advan- tage of such an arrangement is not obvious. The permanent units of artillery are essentially for local defence, and would never be called upon to act together. Under these circumstances it would seem better that they should be entirely under the Commanding Officer of the district where they are stationed, and depend for uniformity in organization, equipment, and efficiency on the Inspecting Officer of Artillery above suggested.
7. The appointment of a Consulting Military Engineer to the Colonies of Australia and Tasmania was proposed to the Sydney Conference by the Govern- ment of New South Wales, and temporarily met by an offer of the Victorian Commandant, subject to confirmation by his Government, that the services of the Royal Engineer officer in Victoria should be lent to the other Governments when required. The appointment of a Federal Inspecting Officer of Engineers as here suggested would be a more satisfactory and permanent arrangement, and now that the works for the defence of the various ports are practically complete, such an officer would have time to see that the defences and the Engineer personnel were kept in a thoroughly efficient condition.
8. The Colonial Defence Committee concur in the recommendation of the Conference, contained in paragraph 13, that a Council of Australian Federal Defence should be formed to act with full powers on the part of the Joint Federated Colonies in time of war or national emergency, and to control the "Active Defence Force" proposed under the Scheme, and, to a certain extent, also the "Passive Defence Force" of each Colony. But they consider that,
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