16. MILITARY AND NAVAL DE FENSE. Up to 1870 Australian defense con sisted of a small garrison of British troops. These were placed in the principal cities as a kind of guard. The withdrawal of the last Imperial regiment in 1870, and the effect of the Franco-Prussian War and other European and Asiatic disturbances, led to the establishment of a colonial system of defense. The system was voluntary; men willingly came forward, gave their time and service, the governments pro viding them with arms and accoutrements and in many cases uniforms.
In 1880 experts from the Imperial army ad vised that a °Militia° or partially paid system should be substituted for the voluntary system. This was adopted about 1884. The expenditure to the colonies was increased by this system, but the general efficiency was very much greater. In most of the large schools cadet corps were established where the boys were given a regular course of drilling. The strength of the mili tary forces in the different states prior to Fed eration was based upon population and amounted in all exclusive of rifle clubs to about 28,000.
Under the Constitution of the Common wealth Act of 1900 the complete control of the defenses was transferred from the states to the Conunonwealth. Under the Minister of Defense a general officer was appointed who organized and took charge of the land forces until 1905 when a Council of Defense was ap pointed to deal generally with questions of policy, and a military board to which the ad ministration of the forces was entrusted. The Commonwealth was divided into six military districts generally corresponding to the bound aries of the six states. The main portion of the land forces is made up by the Citizen soldiers or militia. Over 600 professional soldiers were engaged as expert instructors spread over all the principal places in the Com monwealth. For defending the leading ports and manning the forts permanent troops of Royal Australian garrison artillery are sta tioned.
The defense of Australia at present is pre scribed by the Defense Acts and amendments from 1903 to 1914. In the Act of 1909 provi
sion is made for compulsory military and naval training with the necessary regulations as re gards exemption, registration and enrolment. Since then further acts have been passed ex tending the provisions, removing difficulties and providing necessary machinery. The geographi cal position of Australia instilled in the minds of the people the necessity for greater security than they felt they could depend upon in a purely voluntary system. Leading statesmen of all parties recognized the danger and the system of compulsory training above referred to was the result.
By the acts passed in 1903 and 1904 all male inhabitants in Australia between the ages of 18 and 60 were made liable for home service in time of war. It was felt that to call out men for home defense who never had been trained would not be effective, so the Compulsory Act to provide for universal liability to train in time of peace was passed, and it is worth not ing that this was the first act ever passed in any English-speaking country which compels all youths to undergo a system of military training. On 1 Jan. 1911 the Compulsory Act was put in force. All male inhabitants who are British subjects and have lived in Australia for six months are liable to service. The train ing is as follows: (a) From 12 to 14 years of age in the Junior Cadets; (b) From 14 to 18 years of age in the Senior Cadets; (c) From 18 to 26 years of age in the Citizen Forces.
Before the Act of 1909 came into operation, at the request of the Commonwealth govern ment, Lord Kitchener visited Australia and in spected the military forces, the forts and various defense works, and those in course of erection. He made a comprehensive report upon the whole scheme of land defense: this scheme was based upon the Commonwealth De fense Acts of 1903-09, but necessitated further amendments to those acts. The organization is based the following considerations: (a) The members available; (b) The length of service demanded; (c) The proportion of the various arms required.