Chapter 157: The Enlistment Wave
The recent grand naval parade was well received across Australia and even garnered some attention in New Zealand.
One noticeable change after the naval parade was the increased number of people gathering in front of the government building each day—many of them hoping to enlist in the military.
Unfortunately, Australia's current conscription system didn't allow for enlistment at that time. The last recruitment had concluded, and the next one wouldn't occur for several more years.
Seeing that enlisting wasn't possible, these individuals turned their sights toward joining the police force instead.
After more than two years of expansion and development, Australia's police force had become highly modernized. It included a strict police academy training system and a probationary period, after which one could formally become an Australian police officer.
Naturally, under such a strict training system, the powers granted to police were also significant.
As the most important tool of the Ministry of Public Security for maintaining order, Australian police were equipped with standardized, domestically produced As-1898 semi-automatic pistols and even had the authority to deploy certain heavy weapons.
The As-1898, like other semi-automatic pistols of the time, was based on the automation principle of the Maxim heavy machine gun, bringing semi-automatic capabilities to handguns.
Of course, its design also drew on the Borchardt C93, which debuted in 1890.
Strictly speaking, the As-1898 was an improved version of the Borchardt C93, with notable performance upgrades.
The As-1898 had an overall length of 270 mm and weighed 1.05 kilograms.
It used a magazine-fed system and held eight rounds. The nickel-plated bullets had strong penetration capability.
Its effective range reached 500 meters. While that couldn't compare to modern rifles—many of which had effective ranges in the hundreds or even over a thousand meters—it was more than sufficient for practical use.
As effective range increased, soldiers without scopes found it harder to identify distant enemies.
In such cases, the extended range of rifles became wasteful, which is why many countries began developing rifles with a more reasonable effective range of around 400 meters after World War I.
With Australia's population growing, maintaining public order was becoming an increasingly serious issue.
Though the police force had expanded significantly over the last two years and new stations had been built across major cities, along with the training of hundreds of excellent officers, this was still far from enough given the vast territory of Australia.
Considering the current population and city distribution, at least a thousand more officers were needed to properly safeguard public security.
Although recruitment had not faced much resistance in the past, few people were actually willing to become police officers.
Unlike soldiers, police did not earn high wages. Compared to the national income level, police pay was only slightly above average.
While it exceeded the national average, it was only marginal. Australia's per capita annual income stood at £12 and 6 shillings, while the average income of a police officer was only £13 and 2 shillings.
In contrast, the Australian Defense Force offered £14 and 12 shillings, and the elite Guard Force paid as much as £18 and 10 shillings—much more generous, and a key reason why more people preferred joining the military.
(British currency conversion: one pound equals twenty shillings, one shilling equals twelve pence.)
Since enlistment was not an option, many turned to the police force, which helped trigger rapid growth in what had previously been a slowly expanding department.
However, the influx of applicants didn't mean that police training standards would be lowered.
On the contrary, with more people applying, selection and training became even more stringent. Training programs grew longer and more rigorous than ever before.
Following National Day, the enlistment craze lasted for over two weeks. During that time, the Ministry of Public Security received nearly 4,000 applications from those hoping to join the police.
After a strict selection process, only 800 were chosen as official police trainees.
These 800 young men had all passed comprehensive background checks, physical exams, educational evaluations, ideological assessments, and a review of their prior experience—proving themselves qualified both physically and mentally.
They would undergo six months of training before they could be recognized as official police officers.
Even then, they would still have to complete a three-month probationary period. Only after demonstrating full proficiency and good conduct would they be formally enrolled and issued firearms.
Yes, while there was no official government ban on guns, firearm control in Australia was becoming increasingly strict, and civilian gun sales were largely prohibited.
Many ranchers and hunting enthusiasts still owned guns, but they had to register them with the government. Additionally, every time they purchased new ammunition, they were required to explain how the previous rounds were used.
Arthur had hoped to promote a gun ban in Australia, but he understood this couldn't be achieved overnight.
Australia was vast and sparsely populated, with an abundance of wild animals—some of which posed serious threats to human life, such as venomous species and carnivores.
Under such conditions, allowing ranchers in remote areas and hunters in the wilderness to carry firearms was essential for their safety.
Taking that right away would likely cause significant dissatisfaction.
Still, in Australia's major cities, gun control measures were implemented effectively. At the very least, firearms were not allowed inside city limits. Gun owners were required to store their weapons with local governments or police stations and could retrieve them when leaving the city.
During this time, they only needed to pay a small maintenance fee for cleaning and preservation, ensuring the firearms wouldn't rust or malfunction due to long-term storage.
This urban gun ban drastically reduced gun-related crimes. In the cities, no one could match the power of the legally armed police. This significantly boosted police confidence and effectiveness in maintaining law and order.
(End of Chapter)
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