Eeviev of Bevieivs, l/ll/is. 



THE DEFENCE ACT. 



87.i 



A PURELY AUSTR.^LIAN SCHEME. 



The Defence Acts of Australia, New 

 Zealand and South Africa are similar 

 in many points, and I suggested the 

 National Service League had not been 

 idle in the matter. I am assured, how- 

 ever, that the Australian Act, at any 

 rate, is a purely Australian production, 

 having been first adumbrated by Mr. 

 Deakin in 1907, embodied in a Bill by 

 Mr. Cook in 1908, and finally launched 

 by Senator Pearce in 1909-10. Lord 

 Kitchener visited Australia after it had 

 been decided on, to advise about it. 

 Colonel Legge, now in London, was 

 very largely responsible for the details 

 of the Act. 



TWO CLASSES OF CADETS. 



In referring to the fact that sons of 

 well-to-do parents had preference shown 

 them in the matter of drilling", I did not 

 intend to convey that the military autho- 

 rities were making any difference intcn- 

 tioudlly. It is the old question of silk 

 and fustian. The public school boy has 

 a better time drilling, as he has in every- 

 thing else. To him tlie military drill is 

 made largely part of his ordinary 

 studies. The boy who goes to work at 

 14, on the other hand, must do his drills 

 in the street during his half -holidays or 

 at night. To him they become a labour, 

 and he does not like the difference thus 

 made between him and the more for- 

 tunate schoolboy. Undoubtedly two 

 castes are being created — the school- 

 drilled Cadet, and the street-drilled 

 Cadet. 



I inadvertently referred to the Mili- 

 tary Board as the Military Council in 

 stating that the ma jorit)' of Australians 

 had ttie vaguest idea of the power the\- 

 had given it. I mentioned the existence 

 of a virtual conspiracy of silence in the 

 newspapers in Australia on the subject 

 of the working of the Act. Althougli 

 there is ample proof of this, the state- 

 ment has been strenuously denied. 



Recently, though, criticisms oi the 

 detail working of the Act are begin- 

 ning to find their wa_\' into the papers. 

 The most persistent is the comphiint thai 

 boys have to give up their half -holidays 



to drill instead of to football or cricket. 

 The proposal is made that they shall 

 drill on Saturday mornings, at their em- 

 ployers' expense, and no doubt the sug- 

 gestion will find favour. It is hardly 

 fair, though, to ask the employer to. 

 contribute to the defence of the country 

 m this way, considering that he largely 

 pays in taxes and customs duties for it 

 already. The case might be met by the 

 trainees putting in three-quarters ot an 

 hour extra every day, and thus making 

 up the four hours worked on Saturday, 

 leaving it free for drills. 



WHAT IS " ON DUTY." 



Standing orders 115 and 116 were, I 

 stated, contrary to the spirit of freedom 

 on which we pride ourselves. These 

 l)ars. expressly forbid officers and sol- 

 diers to publish or communicate to the 

 jDress any information without special 

 authority, either directly or indirectly. 

 These Standing Orders, it is pointed 

 out, have been m force ever since the 

 Commonwealth forces were first organ- 

 ised, years before the inception of the 

 present scheme. I am informed that 

 neither of these paragraphs affect the 

 right of any trainee in his capacity as a 

 private citizen to discuss the Act and its 

 operation in the same manner as any 

 other citizen. The trainees are not sub- 

 ject to the Standing Orders unless they 

 are in uniform or on duty. This cer- 

 tainly alters the case, although there is 

 no mention of "on duty" in the two 

 paragraphs in question. There is in the 

 preceding one which runs : — 



" Officers and soldiers are forbidden, 

 when in uniform or on duty, to institute 

 or attend any meeting, demonstration or 

 procession for any religious or political 

 purpose." 



Pars. 115 and 116 have cerlanih- l)een 

 taken to mean that an\' cadet writing to 

 the inipers on the subject of military 

 training would render himself liable to 

 ininishment. " On duty " ma)-, of course, 

 be somewhat widely inter] )reted. A clear 

 definition of what il means would be 

 advisable. 



These stantling orders do not appi)- 

 t(i men in the reserve, so that after the 



