RETURNED TROOPERS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 523, 2 June 1909, Page 2

RETURNED TROOPERS.

AUXILIARY OR RESERVE FORCE. j ■ INTERESTING SUGGESTIONS. • ) (DT COEttESrONDENT.) . | Napier, Juno 1. j A decidedly interesting speech was made last ovening by Captain 'Wliitely (who hold, a cominissioii in the Sevonfh Contingent) at the • annual dinner of this Hawke's Bay South ' ; African Volunteers' Association. Captain I Wliitely, who referred to tlio necessity of i utilising tho servieoo of ex-oontingonters in the defence of tho country, asked: "Why are tho majority of returned troopors averse to rejoining the volunteers? I think it i? mainly ' because tho man who has served as a volunteer and then gone out to South Afrioa 01 j elsewhere and seen active service finds much. J in volunteering that is uninstniotivo and ' uninteresting to him, though absolutely no- j cossary for the volunteors.'■.: The returned ' j trrjopor who rejoins tho volunteers is com- i polled to drag through what is to him a;lot ■ ' j of monotonous and unnecessary work to earn ..' ; capitation for his con:pany..' Where che com- '■ panics' are continually changing their officers' this is very marked, though necessary, aa all aspirants for commissions must make use' of: , j their corps for squad drill, etc., to propa™ j and perfect themselves. Eyi- . .. ! dently a more attractive of service j . than tho ordinary volunteering ie, necessary before our returned troopers can be induced ' to become active and' interested volunteers . in time of peace. Since the South African i war many returned troopers' associations I have been formed in tho Dominion, many : : pleasant functions like iiiii have been held, and many gatherings whore exciting reminiscences have been revived and old bonds of , comradeship renewed. This is all pleasant ' ! and grand, and stirs up the patriotism wifhirii:. . one, out this seems to have been tho extent:: of their 'usefulness. Is this tho Uioiglit' of ' our ambition? Surely not. I should like to | see this and all kindred associations rise to;'", j objects far greater, for .with the material, , '■ that is to be gathered within the sphere of each association great things'can bo accom- ..' i plislred. Let mo state as briefly as possible ■'•';' ! what I consider oach association carefully' : • and studiously guided is. capable of accom- •■•'■ .[ plishing with-success. Its first duty should ' ' be to ;defino its boundaries, then compile a■ •• i full and complote roll of every returned ! trooper twithin its boundaries capable of v j carrying arms. Though it should not be • necessary for every trooper to become a mem- ■ I ber of tho association, it should be absolutely ; necessary that every trooper's name and ad- 'i dress should bo placed on the roll either as . ■ member or nori-member. Every person hero, j to-night at.one time'or another has'walked , round the monument placed oh too Marino ; , Parade and seen the large number of officers . | and men sent from this district to serve in South Africa. Nearly every province through- * ! out the Dominion holds a similar record. I ! doubt whether one-fifth of those'whoso names ' aro emblazoned on that monument at the "l present moment aro attached to a corps of j any description. Tho sanio applies to ether provinces. Now all these' men have'' ; seen more or less active service. ' What a splendid auxiliary or reserve ; force can be made up out of, these men, . ■! in each province if a system of service can 1 bo formulated that, will attract them, and' 1 why. not? ■ Strong arguments are being used ' ■ favouring compulsory training, whilst here, :" j at our vory door, wo have as fine a body ol trained and tried men as tho world can." i produce that only wnnts what?—Organisp/- . j tion! Here is the opportunity to prove, our ! usefulness, and_let association rise.to '. i the occasion. . First get boundaries defined, and : I tollb completed, i then, knowing the strength ' • of itß province, let each association form its \ own squadron or squadrons, v Tho, Bbersi . taught us an object lesson in the art of de- ; . fending our homes. Their experience taught'.■'" us tliatthe weapon for defence is,the rifle, : The' Boers-did' not put their country to> ' | the. ospcnße„.of/jipostJy','i|UDiformß.'-' Neither' 1 ' should we, atid, in forming our squadrons, • I suggest that any ordinarj' dress, with gay 'slouch hat, of uniform pattern, as a ais- ;; " tjnguishing badge, be sufficient.,.. A; regula- .. • tion ries, with belts, pouches, and' bahdo-" Hors for ammunitioh,-vshould .complete thd' outfit. All who went from New Zealand: to South Africa, served as mounted infantry,. ,' and, as everybody knows, mounted infantry; • are only intended to fight on foot. It is notnecessary, therefore,' for troopers to keep-;, or own a horse specially for drill purpose^". ■ knowing that every man can use the horse f . vory wtell and correctly when necessity arises. : . To put my idea in nutshell form, it is this: That each organisation, from the number of .. experienced men at its command, . should >! have a'section, no matter how small, trained • .' to carry out each and every separate duty ' .;' or branch of service required,to work and . manipulate successfully a column on active- - i service';: in fact, to form itself into a miniaV ', ture column.; When squadrons .aro thorough- . j ly organised, two:drills, of. two hours, say,> I one held previous to the genisral meeting, .;' j and one previous to' .the ordinary smoko \\ night, would bo.'amplo for company drill,-. , • nnd .calling'of tho roll. A certain'amount ... i of. rifle practico is indispon|ablo. An'inter- '•! esting courso of training should be drafted '"! out, with signalling, scouting, judging dis- | tance, field skotching, plan reading, and plan ! making. Officers and, "noncoms." shbula De ■' -i instructed in the value of every road, creek, ! river, kopje, and point of vantage for strato: \; gical and other purposes, within the bound- ■" ; ary. A most important feature should be a < thorough and-up-to-date training in ■ trans- ! port and commissariat duties, and each or-: | ganisation should have its.- own intelligence ' staff, or -department. War with Germany ! cannot be avoided, and is coming closet .' -| every day. If tho Government, whose health } we aro about to toast, is not prepared to ; supply us with rifles and bandoliers, I sug- j gest that this association show its loyalty ;■! and-patriotism to : its own country by start. I ing at. onco to purchase a sufficient' supply [ of its needs, to bo the property of the afj- j sociationj or the propertyof -each individual' > member who'cares to purchase his,, own., j Then all we need ask from the Government' . | for our services, is ammunition. What ! would be the value of such a force raised \] on this or similar Hues in troublesome ~i times? It would he invaluable, and the , '. generals of Now Zealand would soon begin ' to look upon tho force in the same light ' as Bonaparte looked upon tho Old Guard." ' j ... ..