the principle of
the universal liability for all males from 12 to 25 years of age to be
trained for military service was made law for the first time in any
English-speaking community, and I was more than satisfied that my
personal views which I had held for so many years, ever since in South
Australia, in 1895, I had prepared the first scheme for the approval of
Charles Cameron Kingston, had actually become the law of the land.

Before leaving this subject I must give praise to those officers and
citizens who, taking up the question at issue after the reading of my
lecturette and the events which followed, formed the Defence League of
Australia, and published a paper named _The Call_, which never once
failed in unhesitatingly and most strenuously calling on Parliament, the
citizens, and the Government of Australia to bring about the introduction
of the Universal Service system. Its leading spirit was Colonel Gerald
Campbell, of Moss Vale, a most energetic Volunteer officer.

An amusing incident occurred the night that I was entertained by some of
my friends at the Union Club on taking up the command at Sydney. After
dinner we played bridge. Mr. X, who had not been long married and had got
into the habit of 'phoning home in the evenings that his business kept
him in town, was asked to play at my table. His wife did not relish his
rather constant absences and sternly refused to go to sleep until he
returned home at night. This annoyed him much. Result, some arguments
when he reached home. On the night in question we played till about 3
A.M. "Surely," thought Mr. X as he drove home, "the wife will be asleep
to-night." Very silently he entered his house, undressed, and opened the
door of their bedroom. It was all lighted and his charming partner very
much awake. Tableau!

"Now," she said, "look at the clock--4 A.M. I am full up. You can leave
this room, please."

"No, my dear," he answered her; "to-night was not my fault at all. You
see, we gave a dinner to our new Commandant, General Gordon, and then we
played bridge. I was asked to play at his table. The old man [_sic!_]
would not go to bed, so I had to stay. So you see, I could not help
myself."

"That will do," she answered. "You have told me many tarradiddles before;
now you want to make an ignorant fool of me. Well, I am not one. I do
happen to know that General Gordon is dead! Go away."

CHAPTER IV

LORD KITCHENER'S VISIT TO AUSTRALIA

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