H.—l9a

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The Citizen Officer. 57. While the Staff Corps will provide the trained instructor, the leadership of units of the Citizen Force will depend on the citizen officer, and it is therefore all-important that he should be of the most promising material available, chosen young, and selected solely for his capacity for leadership and military knowledge, and devotion to duty. Every opportunity must be taken to educate him in the spare moments of his civil business, and accordingly means of instruction should be available at or near his home. 58. Once selected, the welfare of the Force requires that officers should serve more continuously and for longer periods than their men, and in this way repay the nation for the trust reposed in them. 59. A consideration of these requirements leads to the conclusion that — (a.) The citizen officer should be appointed as early as possible in his military career, so that he may, at the most receptive time of his life, study his duties as an officer, and develop his qualifications for imparting instruction and leadership of men. (?).) It should be understood that the acceptance of a commission entails a liability to serve as an officer for at least twelve years, but such a liability would not interfere with free movement from place to place in Australia ; nor with resignation should the GovernorGeneral be pleased to accept it; nor, subject to the exigencies of the service, with the privilege of leave on private affairs to visit countries outside Australia. Appointment. 60. I agree with the principle laid down in the Defence Act, that in Citizen Forces all promotions should be from the ranks ; but, in order to get young officers, I advise that for this purpose service in the ranks of senior cadets should count. The ordinary procedure to be followed in the appointment of an officer would then generally be — 61. The area officer would nominate suitable senior cadets as sub-lieutenants in the Cadet Corps ; such rank to carry no pay nor command outside the cadets. During the first year of their adult training these sub-lieutenants should be on probation as lieutenants in the Citizen Forces. When approved by the Battalion Commander, and after passing the necessary tests, their names would be submitted, through the usual channels, for commissions. 62. As regards (b), the commission would then be granted on the declaration of the officer that he is willing to serve for twelve years. Under this system it is estimated that an officer would obtain his first commission between the ages of 18 and 20, would reach the rank of captain about 26, and of major about 30 or 32— i.e., when his twelve years' service is about to expire. Above the rank of major no obligation to serve should be necessary ; zealous officers would remain in order to command their battalions or regiments, and subsequently brigades. 63. A citizen officer elected to any Parliament should be at once seconded. Instruction. 64. The instruction of a citizen officer will be in the first instance afforded to him at or near his home by the instructional officer, who will take special care that the officers of his unit are thoroughly taught in all the regimental work of the unit to which they belong. In addition to this instruction, special courses for tephnical subjects should be arranged by the District Staffs, and the proficiency attained by the officer going through any of these courses be specially noted in his favour. Moreover, as these officers will doubtless have their evenings free for study, an excellent means for bringing the whole Force together and of giving instruction in military subjects would be the free circulation of a military magazine, which should be edited by and published under the direction of the Headquarters Staff. The same agency should undertake a system of correspondence which has proved to be of value in India, whereby answers are given to questions on military subjects, papers are set, duly corrected and returned, strategical and tactical problems are explained, discussed, and corrected. 65. During the training-period of his arm —sixteen or twenty-four days, as the case may be — the citizen officer should receive good emoluments, and J advise that the pay of a subaltern for this period should be increased to £1 per diem, the other ranks being raised in proportion. The rates for each rank would then be — £ s. d. Subaltern. . .. .. .. .. .. .. ..100 Captain .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 110 0 Major .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..200 Lieutenant-Colonel .. .. _ . . .. .. . . 2 10 0 Colonel .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..300 66. No pay should be allowed for attendance at schools of instruction, but bonuses sufficient to cover expenses should be granted to those officers who pass through the courses satisfactorily and attain the standard of qualification. The Citizen Soldier. 67. The Australian citizen soldier experiences much of military value in the every-day conditions of his civil life. He is generally a good rider, active, lithe, and intelligent. As a cadet he is taught to shoot, and learns the rudiments of drill, and, passing through his recruit adult training, he joins the Force as an efficient soldier. Much will undoubtedly depend on the amount of training that, through self-denial and devotion to his duty, the citizen soldier performs at or near his home ; and, if this is done, in my opinion he will be able to subsequently maintain his efficiency as a soldier under the training that has been proposed in this paper.