THE COMMANDANT.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 994, 8 December 1910, Page 6

THE COMMANDANT.

MAJOR-GENERAL GODLEY IN WELLINGTON. AN INTERESTING INTERVIEW. THE IMPERIAL GENERAL STAFF: ' NEW ZEALAND SECTION, Major-General A. F. Godley, C.8., the recently-appointed Commandant of tho New Zealand Forces, with LieutenantColonel E. S. Beard (Director of Military Education and Training), LieutenantColonel . J. T. Burnett-Stuart, D.S.O. (Director.of Military Operations.and Intelligence), and Captain D. C. SpencerSmith (Staff-Officer to the Commandant), arrived in Wellington by the Manuka yesterday morning.

Colonel A. W. Robin, C.B. (Chief of the General Stair'),- accompanied by Lieu-tenant-Colonel E. W. C. Chaytor, Lieu-tenant-Colonel H. F. Head, Captains E J. Seddon, R. O. Chesney, and G V Trask, went out in theJanie Seddon to welcome the Commandant, and on landing at the Queen's Wharf Major-General Godley, who was in mufti, was received by a guard of honour, .furnished by the Royal New Zealand Artillery, under

Major J. 1 E. Hume; After inspecting the jpiard, the Commandant, accompanied by Mrs. Godley, was driven to Government House, where he is to bo the guest of his Excellency Lord Islington. In the afternoon, Major-General Godley paid a formal visit to the Prime Minister (Sir Joseph Ward). Interview With the Commandant. Major-General Godley . was interviewed at Government House by a representative of The Dominion yesterday afternoon, and, though not prepared 'to ■be drawn upon questions affecting the work which lay before .him in New Zealand, spoke without reserve, and most', interestingly, about military matters in general. A chance remark turned the conversation on training. > /.'■'■' "The great thing to be emphasised," he . said, "is that elementary training must be thoroughly 'sound, and from these we may then proceed by successive stages. In tho British Army progressive training begins, with the company unit in the spring, then comes regimental training, brigade work, divisional operations, and lastly, army manoeuvres in tho autumn." In New Zealand, General, the culminating point would bp the division—divisional operations—assuming the system to be well established? .■ •' t " "Yes. Of course,.we must creep before we walk, and, moreover, there is the question of expense." Has there been any material ■ change in mounted infantry training ? General Godley replied that there was very little to speak of; The next query raised the much-debated question of cavalry v. mounted infantry, but' the commandant merely smiled, and asked the reporter whether he had read Childers's book "War and L'Arme Blanche," . a diplomatic way of suggesting that a pronouncement upon, such a- controversial topic was better left unsaid, for tho present at least. As the establishments of the New Zealand Territorial Force pfo r vido only for mounted infantry the day of- a New Zealand. cavalry corps is apparently not yet. . New Zealand Officers at Home. .. The conversation then turned upon Bri-gadier-General R. H. Davies, C.8., and other New Zealand officers who are at present in England. ' General.Godley said that ho had met Brigadier-General Davies frequently at Home, and was on terms of closo personal friendship with him. . Do;s .he expect' to return to New Zealand eventually? ■ ■ "I do not think that there is any doubt about that," replied General Qodky. "His term 'of appointment is only for four years, and that is nothing to him at his age." . .

His new command is an important one ? -•'•■.. "Yes," replied General Oodley, and went on to say that in the event .of war the Sixth Infantry. Brigade at Aldershoi 'Brigadier-General Davies's command) would bo found among tho first for foreign service. "I also met .Major Hughes. Grant, of Auckland, and Whyte, of Dmicdin, were my gallopers at the last big. manoeuvres. They, are very keen about their work. New Zealand has attracted a' lot of attention- at Home, and people are greatly impressed by tho remarkable unanimity shown by tho Now Zealaud ! press and public <w the subject of compulsory training." The general went on to say that he was looking forward with the, greatest interest to his work in connection with the new defence, scheme. It was his desire to respect, as fra - as ho could,-regimental traditions and sentiments. "I don't want tho people to think that I'm, a ruthless sort of new broom." The general ■ also added that he thought that the burden of compulsory training would vest very lightly upon those eligible to bo called upon, and that the military enthusiasm engendered by training in tho cadets would inspire many to volunteer listment in tho Territorial Force. ' Three Staff Colleges. General Godley, en routo to New Zeaiiind, took the opportunity of visiting tho Mjlitarv Academy at West Poiiit, U.S.A., tho Staff College at Kingston, and tho si to of tho-proposed-Military College at Duntroon. Ho was very much impressed with tbo training at West Point and at Kingston. At the former —which is jece lißetaUj' ondowed—there.- aro

between 500 and COO students, while . attho Canadian College there aro as yet only 120' students. He was' convinced from all he saw and hoard that West Point was having a very important national influence, for its influence was permeating into other ; colleges and schools in a manner that would influence the national character for tho methods were very thorough. The Canadian College would in time exert, a similar beneficial influence. For the purposes of tlia Australian station, the Federal Government had secured a station with a comfortable country house and farm buildings, and the other necessary buildings were now in process of construction. He said he felt quite assured that under the guidance of Colonel Bridges this institution to which New Zealand was going to send her young men would be a success. On thinking tho matter over in all its bearings, he was of the opinion that it was better for New 'Zealand—at all events for some time to come—to send her students to the Australian Military College. He v.-as perfectly satisfied that the recent appointments on the college staff were most excellent ones. Cqlonei Bridges—who, by the way, recently visited West Pointis looking forward to the advent of the New Zealand young men', and wjil. General Godloy feels sure, take a special "interest in their training. . . Imperial General Staff. On. the subject of the oversea dominions and their connection with the Imperial General Staff, .General. Godley said that the four .ineh sent out here—

OUR NEW COMMANDANT,

himself, Lieutenant-Colonel E. S. Heard, Lieutenant-Colonel Burnett-Stuart, and Captain B. C. Spencer Suiith—with other New Zealand Staff officers, would form the New Zealand section of. the Imperial General Staff; and iii the same way the Canadian,. South..African, and Australian staff officers would form similar sections in their respective dominions. He hoped that it would be found possible to send a proportion of well-qualined officers to , the Stall' Collego at C'amberley and.Quctta— there was no reason why some should not go to India—so that they, might qualify themselves for the Dominion section' of the Imperial General Staff. "We hope," he added, ."that this will he kept a close borough, in the sense of efficiency.' "What I mean is not that it should be a close borough for officers of the British Army, •but that eventually no one should belong ■to it unless he has passed through the Stair.College at Camberloy or Quetta, so that in.time New Zealand, for example, ; may have a staff composed of New Zea- • landers who would' be all Staff College men. ■-■■•>. i The possibility of an. occasional visit from a British-regiment was also touched upon. Lord Kitchener had this idea in his mind, and had expressed the opinion that from an educative point of view it would be an excellent' thing. General Godley agreed that if. it were practicable it would undoubtedly have a good effect. Hβ could ■ not, ■of course, speak of # the practicability of it—that was outside his domain—but if, for instance, a regiment could be sent here for a few months on its way Home from India, the effect both from a Dominion and from an Imperial point of view would bo good.