CO885-(7-8) — Page 697

228

Factors

246

Two factors, therefore, may be considered as governing the future organisation and determining administration of the Military Forces of the Commonwealth, namely :-

Australian

Defence.

Garrison Force and Field Force for defence

(a) The defence of Australian soil.

pre-

The defence of Australian interests wherever they may be threatened. (a) “ For the defence of Australian soil" there are two essentials, namely, Garrison Troops, hereafter styled the Garrison Force, for the protection of certain determined strategical centres and places of commercial importance; and Field Troops, of Australian hereinafter styled the Field Force, for those active operations which are, as has been shown, an essential element, in conjunction with the Garrison Troops, for the defence of such an extended area as Australia. It is not necessary that the troops for garrison duty as a whole should be mobile, but it is absolutely essential that the Field Troops be not only well trained, carefully organised, and well equipped, but also ready for active operations in the field at the shortest notice.

- soit.

Field Ferces

Australian interests.

(b) "For the defence of Australian interests wherever they may be threatened" it will be for defence of obvious that the first essential is the sea supremacy which is guaranteed by the Royal Navy, and that the second is the possession of a Field Force capable of undertaking military operations in whatever part of the world it may be desired by Australia to employ them. The Field Force above indicated in (a) could, if necessity arose, be made available for this purpose.

Troops now available in Australia.

Voluntary military service.

Troops available in cachi Stato.

II. NUMBER OF TROOPS AVAILABLE and ReQUIBED, AND HOW PROVIDED.

It is now proposed to consider, in the first place, the minimum number of troops which will be required to fulfil the foregoing conditions, and in the second, how those troops are to be provided. As regards the first, it is only proposed in the present recommendation to deal with the troops which now. exist in the six States under voluntary terms of service in accordance with the Estimates, 1901-2. The numbers should be taken as the very least which Australia requires for her protection, and may be considered as the peace footing of her future military force. As regards the second, the strong military feeling now prevailing renders compulsory service by conscription unnecessary. A voluntary military service is the pride of all Anglo-Saxon com. munities, and it is safe to accept the fact that whenever a national emergency occurs a sufficient number of citizens will always be found ready and willing to voluntarily undertake the duty of defence. The liability to serve should, however, always be maintained, so as to establish the principle of the privileged duty and sacred right of every free-born citizen to bear part in the defence of his country.

The most essential element, therefore, in the organisation of the future is to provide a military system which shall be elastic, capable of expansion, and which shall form a carefully constructed framework into which the fighting material of the nation can be fitted when the emergency arises. This framework must consist (1) of a carefully considered and thoroughly complete military organisation; (2) of a well-trained, competent, and experienced staff of officers to lead and to administer; and (3) of modern and efficient equipment.

The following Schedule I. gives the number of troops available in each State:~

K

SCHEDULE 1.

247

The following Schedule II! shows the proportion which each State should possess Froportion

basis of the total number upon a population

available throughout the of Troops to Commonwealth :-

SCHEDULE II.

now

Mule Population between Ager 18-60.

Military Establishments 31st March, 1901.

State.

Total Population.

Number.

Proportion to Total Male Population of Conimonwealth

New South Wales Victoria Queensland

Number of Troops ubove or below the Proportion of Male Population.

Number.

Proportion to Total Military Establishments of Common- wealth.

Above.

Helow.

580

South Australia Western Australia Tasmania

1,352,500 875,100 1,200,851 323,200 196,596 154,200 302,604 98,600 ·092 183,178 70,000 172,318 47,000

-349

9,732

.329

-301

6,152

*218

2,138

143

5,150

•175

938

3,001

· 102

289

071

·044

2,190

+074

3,016

· 102

09 1,698

Total

3,768,056 1,075,000 1:00

29,571

1:00

3,021

3,024

States on population basis.

Garrison Forec.-The troops required for the protection of cities, towns, &c., should Garrison consist of troops raised in the localities which they will be called on to defend in war. Force. The existing Volunteer Corps should be utilised for this purpose.

The existing defence schemes of each State indicate the force which is required for purely defensive purposes, and are taken as a basis for the Garrison Troops given in Schedule III., Column 1.

Field Force. This force requires the highest possible degree of training, the most Field Force.

The troops should be complete organisation, and the latest modern equipment. furnished entirely by Militia or partially-paid troops. The number now available in each State are as given in Schedule III., Columu II.

STATE.

COLUMN I

Garrison Troops,

(Existing Peaer Establishment.)

Mɔante i Tracy.

Artillery,

4653,048

Others.

Field Guns an

Gunsof Position.

Total.

SCHEDULE III.

COLUMN II.

COLUMN IV.

IIL

Field Forer.

(Existing Pearo Establishment.

with slight modifications.)

Mounte-4 Troopsā.

Artillery.

Infantry.

4.912 1.600

VOTES.

Field Force.

(Proposed War Establishment.)

Catal.

Ciran Total of Existing

Military Establishment

31st March. 1901.

Mounted TrooFS.

Artilery,

Infantry.

Others.

Giun

Total.

4.351 1,923 3216319

Now South Wales 223

Victoris

Queensland -

South Australia.

170 2.76%

23 10

4,620

9,732

3,734

161 1,318 |1,456

263

10

5,193 1,00%

185 1,980

65 13

3,259

0,432

3,333

579

2,563 (1,08% | 20

0.163

310 i

476 (1,07%

915

4

2,079

8F4

105 1,352

150

6

2,501

5,180 1.378

-1,597

450

12

3.788

112

311917

119

1.503

610

!

ຕ

28

1,492

3.001

1,007

305

3.160

9.767

Western Australis

1900

211

$40

31

•

1,205

906

0048

35 4

955

2,190

GAIN

134

692

100

+

13:07

Tarmania

180

950 1,120

לחן

2

1,972

199

734

**

1,044

9,010

478

120

554 156

4

Total -

30 1,108 3,145 9,365 1,582

25,470 4,074 612 8,181

6356 14,101

29,571

10,438 2,750

12,120 3,414 | 00 28,748

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

TTITI C.O. 885

கப்

8

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGILAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

3 4-gun batteries.

and one section.

1 battery.

2 4-gun batteries.

2 feld, 2 mountain,

and 2 siege game.

1. A slight increase in the Peace Establishment of the Troops alloted to the Garrison Force in Column 1 will be required hereafter.

Force upon the Peace 2. The proportion of the various arms in the Field Establishment now existing in each State, as given in Column II., will require some re-adjustment hereafter, in order to meet the proportion proposed in the War Establishments, It will be observed that the proportion of Mounted Troops to Infantry on the proposed War Establishment of the Field Force in Column IV. is much larger than in the existing Peace Establishment in Column II.

E 21329,

Nu.

Mounted Troops

Artillery.

Fagineers

State.

(Cavalry, Mounted Rides, and

Stadt

and

Field GICA.

Mounted Infantry).

Fick, and Electric

Sub-

mahme

Infantry Depart- Totul.

Field Guns.

Remarks.

mental

Miners

Corps.

Companies

New South Wales

1,906

240

$25

254

Victoria

1,137

1136

*

Queensland

1,194

154

427

South Australia

741

101

240

Western Australia

400

180

121

Tasmania

289

119 5,733

$55 9,733

139 3,459 3,069

217 6,452

12 18

238 5,180 10

2 4-gun batteries

| 1,049

3,001

1,220

2,190

21 2,161

10 3,016

34-gun batteries.

10 30 1

Total".

·

5,727 1,008

379

357

17,594 1,370 29,571 40

• Dona mot în

stly employed.