The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957)(about) |
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Saturday 24 July 1920
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5 corrections, most recently by kees - Show corrections
CITIZEN MILITARY TRAINING.
Sir John Monash. Views.
BALLARAT, Friday -" If at Gallipoli I had had one-tenth of the resources in army and munitions which I had subse- quently in France three years later, we would have been able to have made an end of the Turkish army in three months," de- clared Lieutenant-General Sir John Monash this evening, speaking at a dinner given by the mayor of the city (Councillor G. Crocker) and the mayor of the town (Councillor W. Richards). Among those present were Senator Bolton, the Chief Secretary (Major Baird), Messrs. Brawn and Bell, M.L.C.'s, and Mr. McGregor,
M.L.A.
In responding to the toast of his health, Sir John Monash said that he valued no- thing more highly than the realisation that he had won and retained the confidence of the men. It was the confidence between offi- cers and men which had made the Austra- lian army so potent a military instrument. Referring to the matter of citizen training, he said that that training had prepared the Australians for the war. The war had been mainly one of mechanism which was largely new to the most experienced pro- fessional soldiers. In that respect the citi- zen training of Australia had been of great service. Officers who had returned from the front had been charged with being mili-
tarists because they said that Australia should be prepared for the future but there was no man who hated war more than the returned soldier, who recognised its horrors and hoped that such a scourge would never be felt on our own soil. The duty rested on Australia to do what was necessary to protect herself against any potential enemy. If we did not have enough money to provide both machinery and training, let the latter go for a few years and get the guns first.