Evening star., 1916-07-27
AUSTRALIA TRAINS
YOUTH Of COUNTRY
System Provides Varied
Periods in Which Young
Men Enter the Military.
CADETS PROUDEST DAY
TO BECOME A SENIOR
Then Is Put Under Military Dis
cipline and Given Regular
Company Drill.

In order to emphasize the very small
time required in the system. the training
OF Australians is summarized as follows
oy capt Granville Fortescue, continuing
MS discussion of preparedness" for the
association for National Service:
Junior cadets. between the ages of
twelve and fourteen years. undergo ninety
hours of training each year. Senior ca
dets. between the ages of fourteen and
eighteen years. are trained four full days,
twelve half days and given twenty-four
night drills, equaling one-quarter day
each. every year. The citizen militia.
which includes all males between the
ages of eighteen and twenty-six, under
goes eight years of service and is trained
sixteen full days. of which eight must be
in camp during the first seven years of
service
Artillery and engineers and naval re-
ermts train for TWENTY-FIVE days. of which
seventeen are spent in camp" he con-
tlnues From the above it is seen that
the Australian system is founded upon
the training of the youth of the country
Let us examine the three stages of in
struction for boys and young men in
Australia. under separate heads The pur-
poses OF the different periods of schooling
are:
Purpose of Each Period.
First. in the Junior cadets. to system
atize physical drills and marching exer-
cises in conjunction with school duties
and thus improve bodily development.
to the city bred boy.
second, with the senior cadets, between
the ages Of fourteen and eighteen, while
continuing the physical development, to
initiate general military training that
ton.
Third, in the militia, men between
eighteen and twenty-five years Of age
TO organize, train and discipline force
OF real hghting value. In Australia, as
in the United States, primary education
is compulsory and free. In most of the
antipodean states children remain at
schooi up to fourteen years of age
lated districts and three-fourths of
the children of the country attend the
same The other fourth attend private
SCHOOLS The commonwealth govern
ment has no authority over education
which, as il is in the United States, is
a function Of the state government. But
the central government has power to
require training for military purposes
in all schools. 1t was no difficult task
to Introduce military instruction in the
schools, as, before the passage of the
defense act, volunteer cadet corps ex-
listed in primary institutions of learn
ing These numbered some 10000 stu
dents and have passed on their name,
Junior cadets. to the present organi-
cations.
Is National Asset.
Although Australia is a young coun-
try. the effect OF the crowding into the
cities has already been marked among
the youth of the land. A sharp differ
ence is noted between the city and the
training is a national asset. even
though many OF the boys who train
afterward fail to come up to the high
standard set for entrance into the
militia In the schools all cadets are
examined medically before being sub
ject to the fatigues Of military exercise.
"As the commonwealth government
had no power to 1egislate military in
struction into existence as an added
burden TO the schoolmasters. it had to
be accepted voluntarily In recompense
the central administration made grants
to schools meeting the government re-
ouirements. All the schools are now
conducting the training. Teachers un-
dertake a special course In order to fit
themselves for the work.
The training consists of not less than
fifteen minutes each day devoted to
physical exercises and short time oc-
cupied in marching drill, which, in
practice, is infantry squad drill. In ad-
dition the cadet chooses two of the
following subjects as part Of his mill
tary course:
Il Miniature rife shooting.
"2 Swimming.
'3. Running exercises in organized
games.
- First aid to the wounded.
From the above schedule II Is easily
understood that the cadet training of
ninety hours is one OF the
popular courses of the schools.
What the Junior cadets look forward
to during the whole of their period OF
apprenticeship is the date of their four
teenth birthday. when they become
seniors The two titles come down
from the days of the Roman republic.
espoused military training in order to
At themselves for war. The Australian
senior cadet forms part of his countrys
military system A pride and glow OF
he dons his uniform. Then he receives
his record book in which will be
written the history of his military life;
he is allotted arms and accouterments
and assigned TO a company. II is safe
to say that the young Australian ex-
periences much the same feelings as
did the novitiate knight OF old when
frst he donned arnor and lifted spear.
NOW the cadet comes under military
discipline. Companies are. as q rule,
12o strong. including three officers. fve
sergeants and -FOUR corporals. Nothing
more complicated than company evolu-
tions are attempted in the way Of drill.
which Includes the manual of arms. At
times the companies are formed into
battalions for some ceremonial, and
this gives added zest to the training
AZ the boys enter into their work with
all the enthusiasm of youth. they soon
attain a proficiency that approaches the
drilling of West Point cadets in the
United States In the outlying districts
the cadet companies recruited in the
remote grazing country are remarkable
for the physique OF the members. New
ertheiess, battalions formed in city
areas respond rapidly to systematic
physical instruction. and show sharp
Improvement in body. in mentality and
IN morality at the end OF the course.
The Introduction TO military train
ing IS continued for four years At the
end Of that time when the senior cadet
reaches his eighteenth year. he is
brought before the medical officer of
his training area for exannin alton. He
is then classified as either first. ht;
second. conditionally 1T; third. tempo
re sily unfit; fourth. UNIT; hfth. not sub
st9ntiaily OF European origin or descent.
According to his classification he does
or does not enter the established