The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-10-17
AUSTRALIA MAY NEXT RATIFY
 PEACE PACT
Big Reduction Made in Money for National De- fense of Island Province.
BY HARRY l.. ROGERS. International News Service Staff
 COFreSnOndenf


 Washington, D. C., Oct 17-Of the several countries represented in the Washington Conference the United States has taken the leading comply reached there for the reduction of ornaments.
 Japan, however, has now ratified the treaties and official documents are en route to Washington from Tokio it has been stated officially. Charge d'Afaires Saburi, of the Japanese Elm bassy, is now authorized to exchange notifications with the United States Australia, also, seems inclined to com ply with her agreements as soon as possible.
 Drastic Cuts Made. Drastic cuts in the Australian Ma tlonal Defense Budget are being put into effect and military personnel is being reduced all along the line Con- alterations of the ten years peace in the Pacific guaranteed under the con- ference agreements apparently have been responsible for the adoption of this policy by the Australian govern ment.
 One training squadron and one fly ing school constitute the total avia- tion esta blishment of Australia under the plan just adopted. Here, too, the Washington Conference agreements had their effect, the Australian miH- tary experts having held it to be the part of wisdom to avoid building up a huge aviation personnel which probably would have lost it's useful ness by the time the ten year peace provided for by the Washington treaty has passed.
 Maintain Pay Schools
 An interesting experiment in con- nection with the policy of military re- trenchment is to be tried at Duntroon the Australian West Point Grateful for the work done by graduates of Duntroon during the World War, the Australian government hesitated to do away with the famous institution It therefore was decidde that while there should be a reduction in the purely military personnel Of the school attempts should be made to encourage the attendance of paying students in engineering courses. In this way it is hoped that young men will receive adequate training for civil life but also will have benefits of a military training which would fit cy.
 Navy Program Indefinite
 The naval program of Australia is somewhat less definite In brief, termined to base it's naval policy of the future upon thhe plans of the British Admiralty. Heretofore the initiative in naval matters has been left to a very considerable extent to the Dominion governments.
 In general, the new policy of the government in national defense has the support of the Australian press. The leading newspapers of the Com m onwealth have laid emphasis upon the idea that the Department of De- faaae is trying to provide reserves in ~N~ form of munitions rather than in trained personnel. This conception, 1 it is argued, as a corollary of the proposition that the wars of the fu- l ture will be dependent upon the me 1 chanieal rather than the human ele- | ms mt Cor success. Therefore. the gov | ernnnent is regarded as justified in | believing that a small training nn- | cleus with brief compulsory training | for all is capable of being formed in 1 to an adequate defense system on suf- 1 ficiently short notice.
 Sound Danger Note.
 Neverth eless, several prominent fig 1 ures have uttered warnings against what they consider the dangers of the | proposed innovations. Admiral Du- | maresq, who recently resigned as | of the Australian fleet, | created a profound sensation in miii- 1 tary circles at the time of his retire l m ent when he cautioned the Austra- l Hans that their minimum safe naval l strength already had been reached i and asserted that since Australia must | inevitably have a naval force fifty or | one hundred years hence, she is act | ing unwiselv in destroying foundations | already laid in the training personnel. | That length of time, he declared. is | necessary for building up an efficient | 
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