DEFENCE NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 811, 7 May 1910, Page 9

DEFENCE NOTES.

(Br EcnsLoifJ

Under the new scheme of military do* fence'adopted for New Zealand by Parliament last session, there will he created a number of positions on the instructional staff,-to be filled by commissioned officers* Already, the General Staff at headquar-t ters has been inundated with ■ applications from appointment-seekers to ther extent that the visible supply far ex-' ceeds tho-.prospective demand. In considering the question of filling these anct oilier appointments created by the requirements of the new system, the General Staff will, no doubt, have in mind Lord Kitchener's earnest plea that the> efficiency of the force will depend .upon its absolute dissociation from political and private intrigue. Nothing" could ba more unfavourable to tho prospects of the new scheme than a series of ill-con-sidered appointments. Good men, • in; any profession, are scarce, but none bnU good men will suffice-for the successfulissue- of a scheme which, in its initial stages at any rate, must necessarily pass through an experimental phase of its de-« velopnient. It is to be hoped, therefore, that that convenient avenue of advance* ment known as the. "backstairs" will bo absolutely closed—hricked up.

On .the subject of prospective appointments to. the instructional staff, it might-' be well to consider the claims of thas staff sergeauts-major, at present in employment in the New Zealand Defencu Forces, for promotion to commissioned rank. .'Die position with regard to thesa; non-commissioned officers, as I undorw stand it, is that they are debarred, by; tho New Zealand' regulations, from pre-* senting themselves for qualifying exam-t illations for commissions. Staff sergeants-; major-instructors are not so debarred in] tho Imperial Forces. If there is any' special reason why such a disability;! should" bo laid upon those employed invi the New. Zealand Forces it should hd more or less clastic in its application, sol far as the claims and' qualifications of 1 , particular individuals are-concerned, ltl is an axiom of military experience that'* the most efficient non-commissioned offi~ cers do .not always mako good officers'when .promoted to commissioned -rank,.' but there have been some notable, exceptions, and one does not need to go be-* yond Now' Zealand for a'strong argumont'', against the 'universal application of .the' regulation debarring staff sergeants-major' from qualifying for promotion.-- On ono' previous occasion upon which the rule was! relaxed, the Forces were enabled to retainl the services of a non-commissioned whose subsequent work as Chief Instructocl of Artillery—l refer to Captain G.. 5.,,-Richardson—has-more than justified his': promotion, 'if the present, general effi> ciency of !he New Zealand Artillery ser-J vices is any criterion. Those who ara acquainted with tho personal character.' and general-efficiency of certain sergeants- 1 major ,at present'holding staff appointnients in the New .Zealand Forces, wilE agree that these, nou-commissioned officers) should not be overlooked when the re-i arrangement of the general instructional! staff is being considered. Their acceptance, would be a disii.net: gain to (he imr* sonnel, - efficiency,' and discipline of thai forces.

. • ■' • ' 5 In a'.'powerful appeal \yhich lie has're*, cently fssuod, Lientenant-General Sir B, S. S. Baden-Powell points- out the undetn lying iiicnuiiig of. tho lioy Scout mnve-i tdont—hov/'it tends to remove the evil ofi unemployment by training toys in manJ liness and self-helpfulness, by meant which really attract and appeal" to them* viz., mid backwoodsmanshipa vjhe movement, which is nan-military andj non-sectarian, aimiuy: solely at inculcate ing good citizenship, has achieved wonJ derful results already. Parent', school< masters, chief constables write of tha, change for good wrought in the boys j and in tho past twelve months over 22,009 badges for efficiency various crafts and .ii medals : 'fbf c 'iife-savfnlj 3 'KSvi been awarded to scouts.'"ln fact,"the sue* cess of the movement and the extent towhich it has grown have now become ko great as to constitute a problem -ta bo faced. Two thinga. are needed, sayg the general:— |

"We want men to act as that is, to take the training of the boys! or organisation locally ot the raovsiiientJ There niust bo a large number of young] men to whom it has never occurred that! by devoting to such service some of tha time now-spent at recreations, they haveit in their power to do valuable w'orlbj for their. country.

"We want fund l ! to meet the necessary; expenditure on stall and organisation, ail any rate for the next three years." In a separate document, the Executiva Committee of the Headcjiinrters' Council of, the Boy Scouts explain that if thci movement 'is to be of a national character, there must be, to begin with, at all events, a central office,- with "a regulai clerical -and. inspecting staff, which iti< .estimated cannot be efficiently maiiw tained, together with the necessary cfru dilation of printed literature, for a less sum,than .£IOO9 a year. They add: ~ "To meet this, the only revenue avail* able is that which is derived from th« sale of Sir Itobert Baden-Powell's publican tions, patterns of equipment, etc., which] at.tho most cannot exceed ,£IOOO per. annum.. Hitherto the financial responsi* bility has rested with Sir Robert BadenPowell personally, and up to the present date, thanks to donations given privately, no debts have been incurred; but now; that the movement has become so widely' spread, this is no louger possible, and the executive committee feel that ther can only undertake to carry on the wort if they have sufficient''annual subscript tions It,' giyo them aa assured income.-

The rules and programme of the British) Army. ;Kiilc Association for 1910 have been issued in book form. The preface; reproduces the, gist of the remarks mads by the chairman of committee, Colonol Cougreve, at-the. annual'general meeting, in explaining, the progress of the association,'and continues:— "It will ■bo remembered that in 1008, in, order to' conform to the instructions issued by the Army Council, a drastic) revision'of the conditions of our matches and of the general rules which govern, them was decided uu, the object being to assimilate the mode of firing, the time available- for the delivery of fire, and the description and visibility of the,targets fired at to what is laid down for the annual course /of musketry, which! itself is based on the conditions obtaining on active service.. At the time this was done it was felt by some that a temporary, decrease in entries for matches might possibly bo expected, but this fear has happily not, been realised by the pasfl two years' experience, and this must ba d matter of satisfaction to all of us wha have.the interest of practical rifle shoot* ing at' heart."