The Press. Friday, January 17, 1919. Our Citizen Army.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16423, 17 January 1919, Page 6

The Press. Friday, January 17, 1919. Our Citizen Army.

It is very probable that one of the results of the war will be the remodelling of the system on which our Territorial army is trained. Sir James Allen has expressed his own personal conviction that it would be better to institute thorough and continuous training in camp for, say, four months, for the present system of compulsory week-night parades, and a brief spell in camp every year. There is no question, we think, as to which is best from the point of view of efficiency. "We do not wish to decry the Territorial systenij which was a considerable improvement on* that of the volunteers. It gave us a great advantage in . the prompt organisation of an Expeditionary Force, and it exercised a beneficial effect on the young men who passed through the ranks. Bat jit did not make keen soldiers. Perhaps no one realises better than tho Territorial himself, the difference in point of military efficiency between the .Territorial as trained before the war, and tho recruit, who, even .without! any previous military experience, was pat through four months' continuous and intensive training at Trentham and Featherston. Apart from the question of efficiency of national defence, there are other strong reasons in favour, of the pro-

posed change. The experience of the war has given convincing evidegea-that the training given in camps is highly beneficial to those who have undergone the process—that it is of very great benefit to them physically, and that they are all the better for the discipline as enforced. The improvement in appearance of the lads was such that no one could fail to notice it, and in almost every case they were enthusiastic in praise of the new enjoyment of life which came from their state of perfect physical fitndss.

The new system which is now recommended for New Zealand is practically the system which has been in use in Switzerland for years. It has not been found to interfere with the industrial life of that country in any way; in fact, there is general testimony to the fact that the physical training makes the men better workmen when they return to their employment. Spccial attention is paid to rifle shooting in. Switzerland, and a certain amount of practice in such shooting every year is compulsory. The Federal Rifle Shooting Match (Tir Federal), held every three years, is an. event of national importance, attracting the best marksmen and thousands of spectators from all parts of the country. The last of these Federal shooting matches before the war, according to Mrs Julian Grande, had a sum of £1,196,607 at its disposal, continued for a fortnight, and was participated in by nearly 24,000 marksmen. It is held by Swiss officers that tho consciousness of being able to aim well and hit with certainty inspires a soldior with that confidence which is so large an element in victorious fighting. Rifle shooting is in addition an excellent form of recreation, and if we adopt the intensive training we ought also to follow it up with esuecial encouragement of good marksmanship. We suppose that no active steps will bo taken in the direction of creating> a change until a new Commandant has been appointed. The subject is one, however, which in the meantime is well worthy of serious consideration by the public.