DOMINION DEFENCE.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14971, 19 May 1914, Page 3

DOMINION DEFENCE.

ST.SS~MENT' BY THE HON. JAMES ALLEN.

(special to "the fkess:;'')

WELLINGTON, May 18

Captain. Hall Thompson, Naval Adviser to the Government, and Commander >of H.M.S. Philomel, is on his way out to the Dominion on board .the Osterley, which is due' to reach Sydney on June 18th.

The Minister of Defence informed a, reporter tiiat he had written to Captain luompson requesting him to stay for a while in Australia in order to make enquiries as- to the systeu of training which is being carried out there, so as to.be able to report to the New Zealand Government what system would be best adapted to the Dominion's requirements. In the meantime the crew for the Philomel, which is to be banded over to the New Zealand Government in July, has been secured, suiheient men from the . Philomels'. j/syche,and Pyramus having-volunteer-ad to stay on. Already, although no formal request has been made, a.considerable number of applications have been received from young men who are desirous of entering on a period of training both as omcers and seamen, there was, said the Minister, every prospect, of the Philomel entering on aer new career as a training ship for the Navy under tne most auspicious conations.

Speaking on the subject of land defence, apropos of the recent series of divisional oamps the Ministei said he was, as a result of his personal inspection, more than pleased. He was surprised at the progress towards efficiency that had been displayed. Tho object aimed at was to make the conditions of training approximate as near as possible to war condition:!, so that if snould . break out the troops would be in a position to take the field on a proper war footing. Already a great deal had been achieved in that direction, whioh was more satisfactory, inasmuch as a g eat majority of the material consisted of raw recruits. The Minister also expressed hi 3 great plea sure at the excellent shooting of tho field artillery, which had done real.y good work. The cost of encampments won id. naturally, said Mr Allen, be greater than last year, for the reason that more men were under training. Again--t that, however, had to be placed the fact that the cost of feeding had not increased in proportion to the numbers, it being cheaper in proportion to feed a large number of *foops than a small one. Now that the Army Service Corps was practically in full working order, the Department was onabled to carry out considerable economies.