DEFENCE NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 562, 17 July 1909, Page 3

DEFENCE NOTES.

. : , ' -'■'." (Bv.'EcnEr.oN.)". . . '■' ~ •Consequent upon the rapid growth of the number of cadets enrolled-in.:the Officers' Training ..Corps, . the simultaneous ' deveJopment'jbf organisation,; the. Army. Council is-.suggesting 'to ■'. geriefai ■ officers : comman'd-irig-in-chief 'measures by;which the scope of trairiang'.iaid down by the" Chief of tho General Staff mayl'usefjdlly be enlarged , (reports the " Military .Mail '•').. ; The present: purpose is-to aim| at instituting .'direct connection betvveeh officers of-the-regular army and those of the training corps, to give an impetus to'.the," prpyisipn of-officers, for the .'special •reserve. of .vyhicli,' was . the"; primary object of starring;-the officers': trailing corps. It is, riovy: prpposed : to bring .contingents of the. junior division (formed of boj's in the higher schools) into as close' touch;as possible with the .regular regimental .depots all over the "country; ■ and , that depot commanders . shall appoint, officore' of depots to oxerciso a. • general ■;• supervision over j amor training,■'corps', contingents. , ■ : "' ■'."' '' : ..It;-is,anticipated by this means that training corps officers will be kept.in'closer rela-taon-with the regular, army, bystemoi train-, ing ;,-tJjit'tho number, of: cadets adoptiug : the; army;'as'a profession .'or taking .coin'oi'ssions in',the, Special Reserve ori-Ternt'o'rial- Foroe, will bo .increased, and the efficiency of the cadets' training greatly. impnvMd.-, .■.■■'■:' ',"■. The dearth of. candjdateo for commissions in ,the 'regular army is causing cous'derable uneasiness., at 'army headquarters.,;.lt. does not'appeir that the youthfiiLmanhoodof the nation do not .desire.,a> military career,' but simply that the -difficulty of itrio.'obligatgry preliminary examinations cannot ".be '.'surmo'untedby a large number pf:yoiiths/\The ■solution-'- of,.the• difficulty '(says 'the ■ ".Daily Express' , ) seems to :lie' in':,more);tsuitable examinations, for, the .leaving and .qualifying candidates. '■ The'matter/is!pressing;aud,important,..' and it is.'suggested that a confefeiice .should bo held; at which leading ;headmasters and experienced soldiers Bhould diecuss the cause's 'which. have : led to the exist-, ing ,'unsatisfacto'ry conditions, and' the. ,ppssible -remedies. .■•'• ;";.:;:'- ,'''.'..:'.' "-'vi{'l ;'.'■','•"•! There ■"■was, an"e'nthusiastic.. scene', in thec'amp;.of 'the> King's- Colonials.at Colchester. :recently..when ■Cp'lohel Fprfescue j'nvited ;the men tp're-engage for .service 'in. any; part ■of the'world.'i Amidst.loud.cheering,-.every man. ih; camp signed on the extended" service, and Colonel ; Fortescue said the' authorities had asked, the regiment, for DO'per cent., and they had given 100 -per !cent.~ In ■ congratulating the men on; the smartness-'inVdrill:',and on'the physique and'general.efficiency;pf the. regiment',' , Colonel Foiitescuo ■added that,,hivirig ; ferved : :'.niany;years,.in, oiie'-of.'t'ho/finest. of, cayalry.. ;17th he' could-'sayithat he vvould;ii6,vcr:'wish,to.Tiavo better ■;meii. : under.-.hie' i 'cqmmijM:,rthaii;> King'siColptiials: , ' 'S' j'< : v/' '■ ';•'• .'■■.'' :;".GaJtainvJ6hn';C;|Firpmqnt,;bf'tlie'? ; ;U.S;S,; Mississippi,does; npt'hplieyo-that Ahe.ibattleshipMsttp'be,■superseaed'.by,.'air:;cra'ft:'\"He says:/"Did;ypn;ey6r;'tr>; tp drop-■ a;inarb!o : from :th'e" second .stoi-y ■of-a^buildinginto , a/h'at. oh:.the' ground?,"■ ■Well, : .;.tliat ; is'-jus ; t''about as. .oasy ■■ to ,d 6 ' as ■; it , ; isi; ,tp / drop ;a:' lydditej shell; from A an ■ airship)uppn avb'attleship..' Tho current' of 'the air,.will 'invariably cause tie Jshell.. to fall in\s6me;plaeef-o'ther>tha.n. that i sighed. '.From recent;experimonts■• it y can bo i shown- , that .an- aerial ■'.yosseU i is., , .helples'B,' l aiid, • can. be. shot;.te; pieces';at- an , .altitude of more' than 'two milesi Deforest: canyrcach ; a'po"siti()h anything-like directly over'.thoobjecf it:seeks to'attack.":vh.V. .;.-..V;i/| V^ : ; V i 'i. :: .•': : .;■;, authdr.itiesv.have |'madef.a,Vs^nd''cndea'voUr|!'to'; , a^rtain':iwhe ; -' : tbdr;:rifle-,firc>..;is 'effective ';inVcompelling, 1 rball£on;-,til descen'dr'-'An.Uspe'riment'wasicar-, ried'outj -peirlin.'correspon-. .dent/of ■"-.the: "Mdrnmg' Post,""-,at''.a. country town;a)>out-,fofti' v :milee:' from;- Berlin;,' by ...two. .companies, of ,'.•. The- object; aimed at \yasj a',.captiye;-balloon.■'about , .4pft;-'in. length 'of thoiParseyalrSi^s'f!eldV;type; ; ..used^to';carry ■bal'obsefydtionsi'^-Tlierolwas.'aXnicdium'v.vvind,' whieVcame injgusts iromrdiffere.nt.'directions. • sb; , ; that' :the -balloon; 6Jferedi:sbmetinies;;i!-.its '■ steni..and -spme'times'--itsybroadside;jr.tp;'tho ,trpop>s;;i ;The .weather,- was\nne):the;!.sun:,s'hin- ! ing;.-and-^he.'^^tafgefc";was. v casily,;'distinßui6h; able,'; and 'jvas' calculated .to' be"; aiJ-|aV : distance p'f ;;about. : i2so ■ya.rdsil^-'IIlie; ; inaici^-company. fired.,4 800 cartridges.at'rtlie; balloon, , ,five ; •^minutes, l .spmo'.bf <. the , ; and the-rest'ikneeling,' 'careful,'- allqvyahce;"..'b'eing 'irja'dp.^for.'the; wind. I ''? .'seemed'■'toy.■b6 ! •■i>i^uceQjbn3ihβ:■ballbon' l ;•:anid■ the .iriachine : gun' company'.was'.c'alled : into' action..- : : "Thi.s. company -fired, about; 27pO;.:.c'artridges;at :th'e-.balloon.in'abiut'two.and , 'minutes,' but' 'also. .negatiye.. ;ballpouwas;then hauled'down.,:and i it:-w ; 'as as-' ccrtained that it had been piercod'hy.soyontysix ;bullets.i ..This' resultj'confirms. the",: yiow Kitherto held that a balloon injured not. destroyed ,by-means of infantry :bullete.u-\ Tho holes [made' by' tho/Bpllets ' were : simply .stopped.up. ;agaiii,-owing; to.'the elastic natui'e,of. thejcpyering,:and' but little-gas escape'di: Had.a car-boeri attached;.to.the".bal.lc^n' its',occupants-..would'probably Jhave suffered--- .for it*v;would -'. have,i assisted tho men: in; aiming! ■considered probable tliat, stationary y it :iniglit' : i brought, .down; thdui;h'!still a't/aij/ehbrmqus'expons'o.of am-. munition,."an"d ; .th'o/' : circUms'tances'.'would' be' far mbro unfavourable A w.ere'.tho b.allobn free; -Th'e ; military, authorities' :havo therefore '• dccidedthatjjiiftiritry; shallfireat. only .ir'i.t : 'is.near'.bn6ii^ occupants- the 'ca'r, v and'. that the.task v of des.frovihK.;.th4..ba.llopri.. itself'-or.of.- rendering it'-incapable^of r proceeding- shall -be 'left-'.to' tho'artillery, ■γ-v,- '■''-■•γ-r. ;'.-'-. 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