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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
C.O. 885
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
LAND DEFENCE.
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scheme has been discussed, criticised in a most careful way, and it has been agreed to by the Colonial Defence Committee; and it has always appeared to me that the Premiers of these Colonies owe a very great responsibility to their people in regard to it. Supposing at any moment war breaks out suddenly between Great Britain and some other great power. The point of attack might be in Victoria. I do not think that we rise to our responsibilities sufficiently, if we do not provide some scheme by means of which at once, without confusion, with perfect order and discipline, each Colony can send a force to that point of attack.
Sir George Turner.] Are we not endeavouring to do that by passing this Act of Parliament which requires a man to serve in any Colony. Then it is a matter of administration for our responsible officers to see that the force is ready and able to be moved wherever it is required. We cannot put that on the Premiers.
Mr. Reid.] My point is this, that everything that this scheme involves can be done by the Governments without an Act of Parliament.
Sir George Turner.] We cannot make our men serve in New South Wales.
Mr. Reid.] That is coming to a later point, when the men have to be sent away. My point is that we can get a system ready beforehand. It may take two or three years to pass your Act of Parliament. The danger may come before the Act. Then you rush to pass an Act of Parliament. But you have not got your organisation then. Organise first; pass your Act if you can; but if the pressure of business prevents that, have your organisation.
Mr. Kingston.] In South Australia all our men are liable to serve in the other Colonies.
Mr. Reid.] Yes, but I do not think by that observation you understand what it is we want to do; we only want to have a scheme worked out so that you may know at any moment what you have to do if war breaks out.
The Earl of Selborne.] That is it.
Mr. Kingston.] There is a scheme of local defence already elaborated. The Earl of Selborne.] Yes, that is local for each Colony.
Mr. Kingston.] We have debated it.
Mr. Reid.] We want something over and above that; something of a federal scheme, and although there are difficulties in working this out, that is purely a matter for the military experts. If you, as Premiers, will give the instructions, your military Commandants will soon work out a scheme to deliver all the necessary stores, the necessary batteries, and the necessary preparations, so that they would be able, at any moment, to indicate to you what troops, of what arms, and what stores were to be sent to the threatened parts.
Sir George Turner.] There is no objection to that, if that is all we are wanted to do. There cannot be the slightest objection to having a scheme ready. They want more than that, it strikes me.
Sir John Bramston.] Oh, no.'
Mr. Reid.] It would involve no more expense. The men would be simply a more efficient fighting force, with these federal duties upon them, than before.
Sir George Turner.] How are you to have the fighting force? Are you going to pick out certain individuals and say, "You will be a federal force raised for the defence of the Colony ?"
The Secretary of State.] Captain Nathan will perhaps answer that question. Captain Nathan.] Certain units have been by your Commandants told off
as a federal force.
69
you
Pre-
The practical point of the whole thing is for miers to give your sanction to the scheme which has been got out by your Commandants, that is, to make it an authorised scheme. If weak points are found in it, it can be revised occasionally, but the point is to have an autho- rised scheme, and to work to that in time of peace.
The Earl of Selborne.] These units are battalions or batteries, as the case may be ?
Captain Nathan.] Or companies ?
The Earl of Selborne.] Or companies of the existing forces who are over and above after the existing local defence has been provided for.
Captain Nathan.] Yes; the Remarks on the Local Schemes of Defence show how both can be provided for.
Sir H. M. Nelson.] It involves so much expense.
Captain Nathan.] It involves no further expense.
Mr. Reid.] No, it is existing men, not a single extra man.
Sir H. M. Nelson.] We have all our men assigned already in our scheme of defence, every one of them.
Sir George Turner.] We are told we have not got enough men, and we want more in our Colonies.
Sir E. N. C. Braddon.] Would there not be some expense in obtaining uniformity of armament and equipment ?
Captain Nathan.] That is a point which I will deal with later on.
Mr. Reid.] Whether you are going to a town five miles out of Sydney, or five hundred miles out of Sydney, it is all the same thing.
The Earl of Selborne.] If an invasion takes place by a force at Melbourne, you do not expect Queensland and West Australia to sit still and say it is the business of Victoria.
Sir George Turner.] It is not to their interest to do it. They dare not do it. They must come to our assistance. That is all done, as I understand. The Commandants have agreed to their scheme, and are we to be asked as Premiers, to revise their scheme ?
Captain Nathan.] No, to sanction it, to authorise it.
Sir George Turner.] And that sanction may be revoked the next day.
Mr. Reid.] It involves certain administrative arrangements within our local forces to carry out the scheme, before that it is worth nothing.
Sir George Turner.] It requires something to be done which we have no legal power to do.
Mr. Reid.] We have legal power to make internal local arrangements.
Sir George Turner.] As I understand, we are asked to say certain batteries, or certain men in certain places, can be used for federal defence, if necessity arises.
to
Sir John Bramston.] Not quite that. I think Lord Selborne could tell it
in two minutes. you
Sir George Turner.] We would require an Act of Parliament to enable the troops to serve outside the Colony in which they were enlisted.
Mr. Reid.] Getting into the position of doing a thing, and the act of doing it, are two different things. If you are in a position to come to the help of a sister Colony that is attacked suddenly, in 10 minutes
you could Act necessary to send the forces there; but it takes more than 10 minutes to the pass
I 3
Land DefiNCE.