DEFENCE NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 681, 4 December 1909, Page 12

DEFENCE NOTES.

-.:■]). ■■',:. ■<■_ '■'■:':■ (Br;EonEt.oN.i, ■'"',■.*'/. 'J' 1 - 'J'' : 'i

.-■Major Park Gray,.of the: Natal Carbineorv;, who shofatßisley with•'.■the Natal contingent, ■";/■'■' was interviewed on-his return to South Africa;" hy> representative of.the "Cape .Times.'! ;■: .Major Park Gray said that tho' Canadians had ' ft great pull with their Ross rifle, which, ho ; he'ieved, is superior to that generally in uso. : --'- ; iho Rossiriflo is not only better constructed'in wsry way, .but.--the ■foresight is not'it;■ all•■;"■ affected by light, and the weapon is made to 1 ., takeamuoh heavier charge than the usual; service ammunition. Canadians shot with the, samo ammunition •as the others, ■ but he con- . sidercd the authorities were to blame in allow-.' ing.them to use thi6 rifle,: and not allowing:, the same privilege to others. The conditions 1 were that the service riilo should be used, and' the service riflo in Canada is tho Boss. Con. ' trary to military expectations, the'men: who'„■"; were,experts';at the ordinary bull's-eyetargeta,, proved themselves the best shots in the rapid wing and figure target: competitions. :"That:.; is easy to understand, though," said 'Major .', Gray. "In the first place, your man must be; taught how to hold his riflo properly and learn, how to overcomo ,tho difficulties of, light and you teach him to go in for snap-,-shooting, or figure target shooting. .Having onoo become- an expert buu'6-cye tar- '. '■ get, with a very little practice he will 6oon ; become an- export,.in: snap, or figure ; .target '■;.• shooting. ,1 may mention also that the''aper-A ture or. 'peep' sight is much bettor. than,,th»': ordinaryV sight for rapidjfiring.", ..:.■ ■:>■'■. Major Gray went on to ;say that the "aperv;., ture'. or "peep", sight was'.'used: \yjth markedsuccess. In- fact, he, thinks that this, nartiou.,'-. lar sight should, be part'of - the construction : of all service rifles. In its present condition, ; ' however, it is much-too fragjle, and would have to.be very much.strengthened. , •'...;,.,...

.Some very good- reports hava been made in the trials with the Dietz signalling discs. These are the invention of Lieut.-Colonel B. R. Diets, who commands', tho 7th Dragoon Guards. With this invention.,it is: made possible'to signal to the rear in open■ country without.the 'being-read by. the'enemy.:,Tho disc is Win. in diameter, with a handle to it. On the'diso is (i a serai-circular'flap working on a spindle. .By- 1 means of a bolt: action tho spindle turns the', flap and so'displays a'white or black surfacefor. the purpose ,of tho■ signalling bode.' Thereverse side of the di6o is, painted with colours suitable Jo the ground worked'on, and cannotbe seen ;) a. hundred yards away when being; Worked in the grass. The discs are used by infantry (when engaged, ana send messages from the firing lino without the,enemy.being able, to read them, as,is the case with.other signals.'

• One point, noticed specially at the recent military manoeuvres in. Japan: was the amazingcelerity displayed by Japanese oncers in issuing and receiving orders; - This "is due to the' .very careful training received'at tho military, sohools, and as a result officers ,have a remark-, able memory, arid can issue long orders verbally; without a single mistake. The rank and file' ' are also (carefully 1 trained in; this \ respect, in fact, ,it'is a' great.;.feature'in, the Japanese army. Everything' worked smoothly and with very,few.mistakes,, each-.staff.officer know his duties,'; and there was nothing in the shape of. overwork, all' duties being oarefully allotted;, Anothefpoint noticed'was tho free use of'maps by officers and-men,'in fact many men bought maps' at .their' own expense. : Every spare moment was utilised in map reading, bo-that the men were..fully acquainted with-.the ground oyer which, they operated.; ■ The.Japanese artillery, are becoming, very expert, in theirwork,they: carry out. .the', work, of entrenching to porfeotioh, nothing is left to chance, .and nearly all l entrenchments for,'guns are dug at bight.. The. reconnaissance-of positions-is also 1 carefully carried out,', every- detail and.featuro of the ground, being, thoroughly examined -. before, ■taking'; up a. position for. action; Telephones,' aiming posts, observation-ladders, and .other appliances are.freely used. "Japanese■ officer* are not allowed* to' carry; baggage according to weight, but are supplied with boxes about 21ft. long,: : the! advantago'M allowance regn-. lilted by measurement, iri comparison: to - that .by weight; as in our own arniy, is,in favour of the Japanese system, but. the wants_ of a Japanese officer, are tew, 1 and easily supplied. :■• '.

Did Mr. Haldane "appropriate", without acknowledgment bis Territorial; Army scheme? :. asks' n .writer iii tho' "Mili&ry " Mail.", :. That '.'.'. seems' to'.bc'what as lhpant'by a; story that,has. .- been revf'ved^'h , ' l Eri'gl/(li'dl>to'itho feffect that mi 1901 an officer of tho Northern Command.(then ■' the ; North-Eastern ; -District), - at; the /cost, of much labour, drew up a/scheme of Army rcor-'.'; ganisati'ori -which '■: embraced' '-every, important - point of tho r plans subsequently put into opera- • tibn by MrVHaldano.;/i'liebnly difference ap- ..' pears to be-one of name' The offioer concerned , called his new force "Guides," Mr Haldane termed his "Territorials." The scheme-druwn■■. up by this officer provided for - a volunteer ■ army for homc'defonco' organised in divisions complete in every detail with guns,: transports, medical-arid nursing services,: depots, etc,..to,' bo commanded and officered not only by vol-; untcer officers, but by officers on tho retired and 'half-pay lists, and by, Regulars, detailed ; for the purpose;' Moreover; provision was mado ; for developments that have taken' place recently • in tho Territorial scheme.;■.■', Motor corps, bicycle , corps* Legion of Frontiersmen,-boy;Bcouts.eto.,; were all included,. and even Mr.: Haldano's. latest idea, the registration 'of trained, men,'v. old soldiers, etc,,.'was;advocated. 'A oopy ofthe scheme-was sent, to all the' Lords-Lieuten-y, antof the. North-Eastern District, and was cor-'' dially. taken •up by: Earl. Grey: in. Northumbei- : land. .The-registration :.scheme .is, or - wal. until Tecantly, in the pigeon-holes of theHeai: quarters-Office at-York,-and in it arrangements... are-drawn up for registering-all trained men:: and 'old soldiers: in every petty; sessional - divi- ■ sion'in 1901-2. Athough all his ideas have been adopted, the author of,.this scheme, of • Army / Roform has. never /received, the slightest: aoknowledgrnent. -. - - - :>..//.. ;,'/-.;■■:■:":■..

: Tho War Office report on' the last examination of: university, candidates, for army commissions is.says London'"Truth," discreditable both-,,t0 candidates' and to their universities.' Out of hf ty-nine.';- candidates who : presented themselves' .for examination,- only twelve' passed. the : low qualifying test required.: The, work 'was ' inferior all■:round, not only as, re- : gards teclihicaLkuowledge, ,which was "super-:, 'confused,., and. disappointing," but. in. general: elementary -.knowledge': of, English,- the: •'writing,'- spelling,, and composition" being in - somo cases so.bad as to cause tho' work' to bo;, illegible;-- : The.University of,' Oxford'.has just; appointed a Professor of Military History,' but, what is : first wanted.: is- a Professor of English. In spite, of tho .revelations of t the Akers Doug-; las Committee, .English :is no. better taught ! than it-uscd'tobo at our public schools. How,, low the standard-of knowledge, is in many" cases few. people have any idea. The authenticity of .the following 'extract ..'from a letter •> written by. a;.cavalry officer in .South Africa', to. his father- ! at home is .vouched' for:— ~, My.'dear,father,—l havo' been six weeks. inV hospitel with i'oaver, but I am boter now, and: tho r nurse.is aj ripper, so it does, not mater a" dam... ■.-'...; ■''..•,-..'.'. '. ;"■ ;:",'''.': .'•-. •' . :'■■'.■:'';

Mr. Hunt,.M.P.,' to lit. Acland (Financial; Secretary to, tlio. AVar Office), in; tho British' House of Commons: Is tho lion, member aware that ;..- the. water:; supply 'at. -..the, recent." manoeuvres, was ; so"_ short that many of 'the moir had to shhYo in: lemonade— (loud laughter)—and if,that is so,.docs not tho lion.:mom-: bcr think that that will have a'bad effect upon recruiting? .-. (Renewed.laughter'.): - . ..-■■>, Mr,,Acland;:l l hav'e ; had no information upon tho point; except from the hon. and gallant: member. If affairs'had seriously gone wrong,': I should have heard -from the men or their officers.:: : : ,'--;'. ':'-';.' : :";.;.::v : .:'.