CO885-8 — Page 1

PUBLE RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

C.O. 885

8

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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

Permanent force for instructional

services.

f

250

IV. PERMANENT Force.

Any increase of the Royal Australian Artillery and of the Engineers is not at present necessary. The whole force of permanent troops should be maintained for purposes of and specialist instructing the Militia or partially-paid troops and Volunteers, as well as for supplying the skilled personnel required in connection with the guns, forts, and submarine mine defences. I have recommended a reconstruction of the former into three 4-gun field batteries, and into eleven companies of Garrison Artillery. The Field Artillery will supply the personnel for the Schools of Instruction of Field Artillery and of "Light Horse; and the Garrison Artillery for the Schools of Instruction of the Garrison Artillery and Infantry. The Engineers will supply the personnel for the Schools of Instruction of the Field Engineers, Field Telegraph, and the Subinarine Miners.

Selection of officers.

Rifle Clubs:

The officers of the permanent troops should be selected with the utmost care. They must be well educated and capable men, as they will be required in the future to supply Australia with her General Staff and Instructional Staff officers. Every opportunity should be taken of giving the officers of the General Staff and of the Permanent Corps opportunities of study in England and elsewhere, and of gaining experience whenever active operations are being undertaken.

The greatest pains should similarly be taken, by means of adequate pay and generous treatment, to induce steady, capable, and well educated men (preferably those who have served with credit in South Africa or China) to enter the ranks of the Permanent Force.

The future efficiency of the Commonwealth Military Forces must in a very large measure be in direct ratio to the quality and the efficiency of its General Staff Officers, and of the Officers and the Non-Commissioned Officers of the Permanent Forces and Staff. The administration and the instruction of a Citizen Army in time of peace must mainly devolve upon the permanent officers and non-commissioned officers, and in time of war a large and responsible share of duty will necessarily fall to their lot. No effort should be spared therefore to make military service in the Permanent Force attractive. It should be made clear that a certain and hopeful future is before all ranks of the permanent officers and men of the military forces of the Commonwealth. A prospect should be held out, by opportunities of advancement and of a fair pecuniary remuneration upon disability for age or failure of health, which should not only satisfy the very proper ambitions of those now serving, but should attract into the service the best educated and most intelligent candidates for vacancies.

V.-RIFLE CLUBS.

The love of rifle shooting and the existing interest in rif practice has been materially their value, fostered by the institution of rifle clubs throughout Australia. The organisation of rifle clubs might be developed hereafter with great and increasing advantage, as soon as the future military organisation has been determined and carried out, and when the exact position which rifle clubs are to hold as an integral part of the Defences has been clearly defined. There is, however, a tendency to look on rifle shooting and rifle practice as a pastime rather than as an obligation seriously undertaken as an important element towards the national defence. The encouragement given to rifle clubs, and the financial advantages conferred by Government, should only be continued on the understanding that rifle shooting as practised in Australia is seriously undertaker, and is developed upon the latest modern lines, and further, that the members of the rifle clubs are prepared to undertake in some definite form a direct share in the defence of the country. The rifle clubs at present constituted in some of the States are organised on sound lines, and their members form a reserve to existing military units. In at least ore instance, however, rifle clubs form an organisation apart, which, without officers, without military instruction, and without a system of military organisation, can at best provide only a certain number of partially armed men with an uncertain knowledge of the use of the rifle. The military value of such men as an integral part of the Defence Forces of Australia can be but small under the existing conditions, and this system requires modification.

Our general system of organisation for the rifle clubs and rifle associations throughout the Commonwealth is necessary. The system of providing a Reserve from members of rifle clubs by affiliation to the various military units, which has proved to success- fully answer the purpose in some of the States, should be taken as a basis on which to create such an organisation. The Reserve men thus provided will be available to complete the peace establishments alluded to above to the requisite strength of war.

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251

VI. CADETS.

A Cadet Military System exists in most of the States, and in one State has reached a very satisfactory standard of efficiency. I attach great value to the military training thus taught and military discipline thus impressed upon the rising generation, and recommend that the system which has proved so successful in Victoria, under the Military Department, should be similarly developed throughout the Commonwealth.

VII-MANUFACTURING DEPARTMENTS.

230

It will be necessary by degrees to create those Manufacturing Departments which Manufac

are required to form the Arsenal for the future inaintenance of the Defence Forces of turing De- the Commonwealth. This arsenal should include :-

(1.) Storage Accommodation for Reserve Stores. (2.) Grand Magazine.

(3.) Small Arms Ammunition Factory (including Steel Shell Foundry) and Cordite

Factory.

(4.) Small Arms Factory.

(5.) Gun Foundry.

A site for the erection of the above will be required where communication by rail and by sea is easily accessible. It is obvious that a supply of coal and iron must be readily available, and that the site chosen could be satisfactorily and readily protected from any possible attack. It is, moreover, necessary that the Arsenal should be so situated as to meet the demands of the Royal Navy in the present, and of the Australian Navy in the future. It should accordingly form part of the Naval base of Australia. An eligible site could be found in the vicinity of Sydney, which would fulfil all the above conditions.

partments.

wealth

Although the above Arsenal will require time to create, a beginning might be at Formation of once made by the selection of an eligible site, and by the removal of the Artillery Common- workshops now in Victoria Barracks, Sydney. Accommodation for the large amount Arsenal. of stores and equipment required for the Field Force above alluded to should, moreover, be built as soon as may be.

VIIL-EXPENDITURE.

The total sum available under the Estimates of 1901-2 should be in the first instance Expenditure. sufficient for the present requirements, exclusive of the supply of equipment, &c., Section III.

from a loan.

The supply of equipment, arms, &c., which is of a pressing nature, might be defrayed An approximate calculation of the immediate requirements has been made, by which the sum of, approximately, 500,000l. will be sufficient to render the garrison force complete and the field force capable of carrying out its functions.

A table (Appendix "A") will be found at the conclusion of this paper which will be of interest. It shows the amount paid for defence per head of population in Great Britain, her self-governing colonies, and by foreign nations. It will be seen that the self-governing colonies contribute a small proportion only to Naval and Military defence in comparison with the amount paid by Great Britain and other foreign countries: thus, Canada pays one shilling and sixpence per head of population, Australia four shillings and sixpence, New Zealand seven shillings, and Great Britain twenty-three shillings and twopence.

I have, &c..

EDWARD T. H. HUTTON, Major-General, Commanding Military Forces of the Commonwealth of Australia.

Melbourne, 7th April, 1902.

L

Nn3

10.J

Head of

Popula-

tion.

Per-

centago

TOT, JO

Public

Етред-

diture

devoted to

Military

Defence.

Per-

centage

of Total

Taxation derated to

Defence.

Remarks.

APPENDIX A.

Table showing COMPARATIVE COST of MILITARY and Naval Defence in GREAT BRITAIN, her SELF-GOVERNING COLONIES, and FOREIGN NATIONS.

Country.

"sojaing AmmigrJE

**

Military.

Establinkanenta. "H

Par

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