The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1915-05-11
AUSTRALIA PROUD
OF CITIZEN ARMY
Gould Send Hall Million Men
to Aid of Empire.
LEADS FIGHT IN GALLIpOLI.

ls Only English Speaking Community
Which Has Adopted Universal Mill
tary Training, and Its Rigid System,
Based Upon Advice by Lord Kitchen
err. Starts With Boys Of Twelve.
A large part of the British force now
lighting on the peninsula Of Gallipoli
In the effort of the allies to capture
the Dardanelles consists OF Australians
According to the reports, the ~colonists
with the southern star ON their col0Fs
are making as brave Il showing as the
Canadians, whose work ut lpreS has
covered their maple leaf with glory
1t Is not generally known that AUS
tralia Is the first English speaking
community to adopt universal military
training. 1t is. in fact. the only Ing
lish speaking nation that has done :"
In 1909 Lord Kitchener. at the re-
quest of the Commonwealth govern
ment. paid u visit to Australia To te
port upon its defense. and to advise
as To future course of action. The ulit
come was the establishment of the
present system. All British subjects
who have resided in the Commonwealth
for six months are liable 10 serve.
When an Australian boy reaches
twelve years of age he comes "a
Junior cadet and continues to be one
until he Is fourteen. The training
aims mt developing the cadets ply
siaue. He receives ninety hours train
ing In the year. consisting of elemen
tary marching drill. miniature rifle
shooting. swimming. running exercises
aud first aid.
Full Soldiers at Eighteen.
On reaching the age of fourteen the
boy becomes "A senior cadet. lie now
has to attend forty drills a year. He
has n uniform and a rifle.
At eighteen years old the senior ca
Diet passes into the citizen forces.
where he remains until he Is twenty.
six-that Is. for eight years. The citi
zen soldier has TO spend eight days
each year In camp, besides having
eight days Tor the equivalent of eight
days. home training.
After passing the age OF twenty-six
the citizen soldier has no more train
ing, but passes into the reserve.
There are certain excepted classes.
such rs theological students. lighthouse
keepers. and SO on.
The penalty or evasion of service
takes the shape of either "A monetary
fine or detention in military custody
under enforced training and discipline.
IL In bur justice TO Australian lads TO
say they gladly undergo the necessary
training.
Owing TO the vast extent of Australia
the system had not got into full work
Ing order when the war broke out. but
about III 900 men Were receiving mill
tary training.
Stands Third on List.
There are In the commonwealth
ing for those physically unfit and ex.
emptions. Australia could therefore ii
need be find not fewer than half a mil
lion citizen soldiers ready and able t.
help the empire.
Australia stands third among the na
tons In annual defense expenditure IL
times of peace. Great Britain was frs
with STA for every %inhabitant. Franc,
| second with $6.62. then Australia witt
$5.66. and Germany fourth with $5.14
The United States Is ninth on the list
her annual outlay on defense bein.
only $2.SS a head OF the population
In their training the rich mans sol
and the poor mans son In Australii
alike. In this way. Ii is claimed by
the Australians, they learn to appreci
ate the fact that below inevitable diff
~ferences there Is a common bond o.
equal citizenship and also a bond o.
empire under the British flag.
The Australian soldier is very popu
lar in London. To the Londoner tn,
speech of his own Lancashire. York
shire or Somerset man makes him al
most as a foreigner. But il Is not 81
with the Australian. Britain has new
err succeeded In imposing its lingua
pitch on America and still less on tn,
Scots. But the talk of the soldier from
the antipodes is that of London. Ii
speech the Australian is a Cockney.
CALLS TURKS FINE FIGHTERS