rawing my attention to the Press reports and requesting an
explanation as to their correctness as regarded the "thousands of
loafers," and further desiring to be informed if the statement as to the
scheme for universal service was accurate, and, if so, instructing me to
forward it for the information of the Minister by the first post. My own
telegram, which had crossed theirs, had answered their first question.
With reference to the second I notified them that the scheme would be
posted that afternoon. I can reproduce here the actual document which I
sent down. It read as follows:

SCHEME for the defence of the Commonwealth of Australia, based on the
recognition by the citizens of the Commonwealth of the personal
responsibility on the part of one and all to prepare themselves in time
of peace so as to enable them to bear their share of the burden of the
protection of the Commonwealth and Empire in time of war.

I

GENERAL VIEW OF PRESENT SITUATION

It is submitted that:

(a) The national growth of a nation depends on the recognition of the
personal responsibility of that nation's citizens to develop her
industrial and commercial interests and the integrity thereof.

(b) In the present economic conditions of a young nation such as
Australia (an island continent containing an area of practically
one-third of the British Empire whose population totals only some five
millions of inhabitants), it is not considered advisable or even
practicable to establish and maintain a standing army of sufficient
strength to enable the nation to put its trust for its protection on such
a standing army and, thereby, relieve the rest of its male inhabitants
from the responsibility of service in case of an invasion.

The maintenance of such a standing army would, it is urged, be a direct
loss, as it would severely cripple the best interests of the economic
development of the nation in time of peace, specially in the early years
of the nation's growth, and it would entail an expenditure not
justifiable under such circumstances.

(c) On the other hand, it is contested that, if a system of training
every young man can be devised:

1stly, To have a sound mind in a sound body;

2ndly, To submit to military discipline;

3rdly, To shoot straight;

and

4thly, To learn sufficient drill to enable him to fulfil his duties
in the ranks with s