DEFENCE NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 978, 19 November 1910, Page 12

DEFENCE NOTES.

[Edited Bt Echmon.] ■ LORD "K." ON THE MEDICAL SERVICES. THE "INTERCHANGE OP OFFICERS" SYSTEM. In connection with next year's Bisley, Colonel Hopton is seeking the opinion of the members of the National Rifle Association regarding a match rifle competition at 1100 and 1200 yards (twenty shots at each), with an entranco fee of <£5. A first prize of .£SO has already been promised. As to the 1200 yards firing point, which'was used for the first tima this, year, it has been found that 30 can fire at cnce.

Lieufc.-Coloriel W. F. Cockburn, R.G.A., chief instructor of artillery in the English south-western coast defences, recently superintended a War Office test of some tracers of American invention, which were attached to shells, used for night firing. Ihc tracers are being adopted in England, and consist of a small metal cylinder screwed mto the base of ■ the shell, and containing a secret composition, largely formed of magnesium. As a shell leaves the muzzle it shows a light, which continues burning throughout tho passage of the shot through tho air. The object of tho tracers is' to identify shells fired by the different guns of the batteries to tell their distance from one another.

At a recent Garrison- Artillery test in England, the towing vessel steamed 15 knots, winding in the targets at the rate of 10 knots, thus giving the targets a speed of 25 knots. . During one of the series, which were being fired at night, a member of the crew of the towing vessel was struck by ai vagrant shell an| killed instantly. ,

A novel plan of defence—the invention of an officer of tho Indian Army—was utilised during some tactical exercises in England not lons ago. The general scheme o£ defence was by a system of flares and trip-wires, the .latter starting a flare as soon as touched. In war those' trip-wires would .his placed at 150 or 200 yards from the line of defence, but on account of the nature of the ground 'these wires were only placed 40 or- 50' yards from the line of defence. . At every 30 yards in the lino flares were fixed connected with tho trip wires, so that directly a man touched the trip wire a flare would go off.- The wires were supported about 9 or 12 inches above the ground, and in order to prevent an enemy tumbling the flare and getting burnt, a hurdle was placed before each flare. •

Interesting details were published in London : the other day concerning the newest guns constructed by the famous lirni of Messrs. Krupp, of Essen, for use against airships and aeroplanes in the warfare of the future. For use on land Messrs. Krupp. have constructed a gun of 6.5 centimetres, and another of 7.5 centimetres, and a gun of .10.5 centimetres for use at sea. All three gufls fire a shell, which explodes the moment it touches its target. It is necessary in firing on airships that the gunners should .be able to follow tho exact course of'their projectile/so the" shells fired from these guns have been constructed in such: a way that during the daytime they leave behind them a trail of smoke, and at night a ; column of . light. The guns for use on land can lire their shells to an altitude of approximately 20,000 feet, and. the gun used at sea can fire its shell to a height of .35,000 feet, the altitude in both cases being far and away beyond the highest altitudo which can ever be possibly reached by airship or flying machine. Tho- guns can be elevated to an anglo of 75 degrees. '

'Field-Marshal; Jjord -Kitchener recently delivered some interesting remarks on tho work of the Army Medical Service, when presenting tho prizes to the students of the Middlesex Hospital tho other day. The Royal Army Medical Corps and the Indian Medical Service, he said, had accomplished much fn recent yearstowards the improved sanitary condition of the Army. "Naturally," he continued, "India has lately been more closely under my own observation than other parts of tho Empire, and there I can personally, bear witness to the advance which has been made. -That scourge of the Army —enteric fever—is , now at last definitely yielding to improved sanitary methods, and to the system of inoculation which has recently become almost universal. Enteric will, before long, I feel sure, join the _ formerly dreaded cholera in total banishment from our barracks. During the last ten years the ratio of ■ "constantly sick, invalided, and deaths" has been reduced by no less than' 50 per cent. "I am sorry to think that England lags, behind: other nations in the. struggle for the prevention of disease by means of improved treatment and sanitary methods; but this conclusion forces itself upon me when I seo what America has achieved, not only generally, but even in so apparently hopeless. an ■ area as the Isthmus of Panama. This ,example must bring home, especially to you young men who are about to enter on your profes-r sional career, what au immense sphere awaits you in this direction. I am glad, however, to acknowledge that' there is a marked improvement in the interest which is. taken by tho public in such matters as-.the prevention of tuberculosis, the treatment of cancer, and in the support of bacteriological research. ' "Many of you are," concluded Lord Kitchener, "undergoing a course of military training in order to bo able.to take part efficiently in any war that may be forced upon us in defence of our country. You must. remember, however, that the training which turns, out ' competent medical .men for civil .work is quite inadequate in. equipping medical officers. for the special . neeJs 'of the Army in "war time. This was brought home to us' during tho South African War. Before, therefore, you cab be of real utility with troops in the field you must go through, a thorough training in the organisation and routine both of tho Army- and tho Royal Army Medical Corps, and you should acquire a good knowledge of the special conditions of the Army both in camp and barrack life. Further, you should endeavour to obtain practical experience of the treatment of patients in tho field, their collection in advanced hospitals, and of the system which must control the difficult work of transporting sick and wounded to 1 general hospitals and bases. A study of our Army mcdicnl organisation, of which I' havo only indicated the broad outlines, ,will call on yo.u for considerable sacrifices both in thimo and energy. But in doing this you will liayo tho satisfaction of knowing, that you nro ' fitting yourselves to bo of real service to the nataion in time of dangir." In connection with the recent reply of the .Secretary of State for War to a correspondent on the subject of interchange, the following list of officers interchanged between the British and Indian Armies and tho Military Forces of the British Dominions beyond tho - seas, will afford somo idea of tho extent to which our sister ■ Dominions have availed themselves of the system which was inaugurated by tho British War Office' in furtherance of the Imperial defcuco policy. It will bo noticed that New Zealand is not very frequently mentioned. Lieutenant-Colonel Chavtor is tho only New Zealand officer who has graduated from tho Staff College; Captains It. O. Chesnoy, D.A.A.A.G. at Wellington, and M. M: Gardiner, of Lyttelton.'havo qualified in' gunnery. Lieutenant-Colonel Bauohop is en route to Camberley now. Tho list is as follows:—

C'apt. C. J. B. Hay, p.s.c., Queen's Own Corps of Guides (Lnmsden's), Indian' Army, interchanged with Capt. E. IC. Eaton, Eoynl Canadian Eegt. Capt. C. B. B. White, p.s;c„ Eoval Australian Artillery, interchanged with Capt. F. A. Wilson, D.5.0., Eo.val Artillery. Major J. K. I'orsyth, Administrative and instructional Staff, Commonwealth Military Forces.—No officcr hns yet been selected to interchange. Major J. H, Bruche, Administrative and Instructional Staff, Commonwealth Militarv Forces, interchanged with Major W.'E. Manser, lioyal Engineers. In addition to tho above, Captain C. 11. Hill, Eoval Canadian Eegt., has been lent to 'the Commonwealth, and Major P. W. G. Piimock, Administrative and Instructional Staff' Commonwealth Military Forces, to Canada,

, r^, e f °Moinng officers of tho Colonial Military Forces have qualified as stated. Graduates of the Staff College; Lieut.E- W- C. Chaytor, New Zealand Militia, and H. E. Burstall,' Royal Canadian Artillery (Commandant Roval School of Artillery, Canada). Majors A H. Macdonncll, D.5.0., Royal Canadian Rogt. (D.A.0.M.G., Maritime Provinces, Canada). D. I. V. Eaton, Royal Canadian Artillery (Director of Training Canada), P. E. Thacker, Horse (Royal Canadians) (A.A.G., Ottawa); Capts. H. Kemmis-Betty, Royal Canadian Regt. (G. 5.0., 3rd Grade, War Office), and C. B. B. White, Royal Aus. trahan Artillery (G. 5.0., 3rd Grade, Wai Office). . ; • •

■The following ara students at 'the-Staff*' CollegeCapts. W. JB. Anderson, 1 Royal Canadian Engineers; W.' Tanner, .NataJ Local forces; and G. R.. Richards, Natal Urabimer's; and Lieut. ,H. D. K. Mao ar iSoy, K°yal Australian-Artillery. .1 he following have the first year s course at the Ordnance College:—* '\rr? Rutherford,' Canadiaii Staff (Master-General of Ordnance, ■ Canada); Majors S. S. Weathernee, Canadian Ordnance Corps,. and ■ W.-i.-i Australian Artillery; while Major. F. D. Lafferty, Royal Canadian Artillery, and Lieut. P. S. , LongJLnnos, Canadian Ordnanco Corps, are attached for instruction to tho .Ordnance College. The following havo obtained a firstclass certificate in the long course of ™J nery ? r Sunnery staff course prior to 10QG, or havo obtained the 'certificate'of inn- u s n . eI T. s taff course subseonent to lD0o:-C°ls.- J. Stanley, Royal Australian S™.' (commanding Victorian District) i a Australiaa Artillery (Chief of Intelligence Council of Defence); and R. W. Rutherford, Canadian. Militia Staff. (Master-General of Ordnance, Canada); Lieut.-Cols. J. J. Byron, C.M.G., unattached list, Commonwealth Military Forces; R. C. Grant, D.5.0., Cape-Mounted Rifles; R. Wallace, Royal Australian Artillery; - H. La Mosurier, Staff, Commonwealth Military lorces; G. H. Ogilvie, Royal CanadianArtillery (District Staff Adjutant, Cana,^;,'van<l Clark, Royal Australiaa Artillery;, Majors A.. G. H. Morris, L. H. Kyngdon, A. H. Sandford, and W. A. Coxen.Ecyal Australian Artillery, and it<- /hacker, Royal Canadian Artillery' (Director of Artillery, Ottawa); Captains J. A. Benyon, Royal Canadian Reserve of' Officers (D.A.A.G., Maritime : Provinces, Canada), M. M. Gardiner, Royal "New Zealand Artillery; E. de B: Panet, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery (Gunnery In« structor, Royal School of Artillery, Kingston, Ontario); J. E. Mills, Royal Canar ian J® orse Artillery (Gunnery Instruo tor, 'Roval School of Artillery, Quebec), and J. H. Hurst,- Royal- Australian Artil- 1 lery, Lieutenants R. O. Chesney, Royal New Zealand Artillery, and ,W. G. BeeJ man and A. S. Wright, Royal CanadiaS Artillery. . • : The following are in colonial military employment Major J. Wayling, 12tH Regiment York Rangers, Canadian Mili-i tia (Captain 2nd Battalion ' Southertf Nigeria Regiment, West African ■ Frontier Force); Captain H. Read, 46th Dur.' ham Regiment, Canadian Militia (Lieu* tenant and Paymaster, Gold Coast RcgiJ ment, West' African Frontier Force), and Major J. L. R. Parry, Reserve of. Canadian Militia (Deputy General of Police, Southern Nigeria);