CALL TO ARMS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1082, 22 March 1911, Page 5

CALL TO ARMS.

COMPULSORY MILITARY TRAINING. PROCLAMATION. SIXTY DAYS' GRACE ALLOWED. On April 1 the newly-anpoiuted area officers and non-commissioned officers are to bo in their respective stations ready to proceed with tho work of registering and enrolling the young men of the country who are eligible for military training under the compulsory clauses of the Defence Act. Two days later, the following proclamation will bo issued:— MILITARY TRAINING. DOMINION OF NEW ZEALAND. NOTICE AS TO MILITARY TRAINING.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that eTery male inhabitant of New Zealand who, on the Ist day of March, 1911, is between the ases of fourteen and twenty years (inclusive), and who is a British subject, ami has resided in New Zealand for at least six months, IS HEREBY REQUIRED within CO days of the date of this notice to fill in a. prescribed forni of . registration in respect •of military training under the Defence Acts, and to post the same to the nearest Defence Office, or to deliver it to any Officer or Non-Commissioned Officer of the Permanent Staff in the territorial area, in which the applicant for registration resides. Forms of annlication may be obtained at any "Post Office or Police Station. No postage is required where the application is posted as aforesaid. Any person to whom this notice applies who fails to take any step necessary to secure his registration as. aforesaid is liable to a fine of Five Pounds, and shall not be eligible for employment in any branch of the Government service, Dated at this day- of 1011. Minister for Defence. THE REGISTRATION FORM. The form of registration is a. simple affair, requiring the signatory to testify to his full name, address, whether he is a British subject, date o£ birth, occupation, name of employer, and whether married or single, and. to answer the following questions:— . Are you at present serving in any military force? If so, state name of corps or unit, and state length of service. Have you already served in any military force? If so, state name of corps or unit and length of service therein. Are you in possession, of a horse suitable for mounted riflo work, or can you provide one for such service? If so, are you willing to use , it for your military truuing? Are you an apprentice; if so, with whom are yon serving? If attending a primary, secondary, or other educational establishment, name of school, etc., to bs stated. THE ARMY AND THE NATION LORD KITCHENER AND THE AREA OFFICER. .-. TWO VITAL .PRINCIPLES. At this very important stage of the development of the new | defence i ... scheme, ? when, metaphorically' speaking,'. the gun has been loaded and is now about to be fired, ifcis interesting to.recall FieldMarshal Lord.Kitchener's remarks on the subject of 'enrolment, registration, and exemptions, and the plan of the area in the general scheme for the creation of an efficient natioaal army in New Zealand. "The first and imperative principle for the enrolment and maintenance of an efficient citizen force," he said in his report o the New Zealand Government," "is that the nation as a whole should iake a pride in its defenders, insist upon the organisation being real and designed for war purposes only, aud provide the rjeans for properly educating, training, and equipping their officers and men. Unless these requirements be met, no military system can be devised which will be other than an illusion and a source of waste of public funds. "The second principle for a successful citizen force is a complement of the first. The force must be an integral portion of the national life. The citizen should be brought up from boyhood to look fonrard to the day when lie will be enrolled as fit to defend his country; and he should be accustomed to practise those habits of self-denial, of devotion to and eimilation in the execution of his. duty, of reticence, and of prompt lawful authority, which are essential to the formation of patriotic and efficient citizen soldiers. Guiding Factors. "The application "of these principles entails a/coinplete and. thorough'registration of the youths of the country, and the adoption of a system whereby those moving from one part of the country to' another will be traced, and required to continue their training. The question of exemptions will also arise, and in this there are, I think, two broad guiding torsfa) That the welfare of the'.family ' should not be prejudiced, (b) That the State should get the best men available. "In my judgment, the only way to satisfactorily organise and train . a citizen force of the nature about to be created is to divide the country into area-s tveru which the national force will be drawn. Each area, should be designed to pron-le a definite proportion .of a lighting-unit, ?nd> should he in charge of a thoroughly trained permanent instructional oiiiwr assisted by ono or two non-coinmissioujd officers. By this means a trained officer will be supplied to live perniammtly amongst a definite number of the citizen forces, whose military proficiency will entirely depend on his efiorts to assist them in home training, as well as in maintaining tho military spirit of selt'-deniul aid esprit da corps amongst not only those who are under training, but also the whole community. ' He will thus he readily available on nil occasions to awist both officers and men in his area in their endeavour to render themselves efficient defenders of their country; and .when the unit that he has trained joins its battalion, and the battalion its brigade, each will vie with tho other, and in this way promote a healthy spirit of emulation and competition in the force which will foster and encourage true and real efficiency. The estimation of tb,e good services of these officers themselves will depend upon the comparison between the units provided by the various areas.

The "Koystone" of the System, "Detailed instructions for tho guidance Of area officers should be drawn up, and should, amongst other things, require a monthly statement from each area of the progress made in registration, enrolment, ' organisation, equipment, and homo train- ' me of the citizen forces under his charge. - Tho essential importance of these duties to the nation will make the area officer ' the kevstone of tho citizen force, vhr.to or-nnUation iind fitness fov war Kill s clnelly depend upon the education arid training received in tho 'area. "Under this system, it is evident lhat the responsibilities'of- tho area officer s will make it a national necessity that ho 1 should be a. carefully-selected man, thorr ou»hly grounded and trained in his r 10 "' .- fossioii, ami scientifically educated. No .- social considerations, no influence, nos thing but efficiency should be allowed to alfect the selection and promotion of these officers. Their work should bo judged ty results alone. The selection and ccluca- , tion of suitable men for these instiuc- „ tional ilntics- will thus be the foundation of a proficient citizen force. They should s, be taken young, given n complete niilili tary education calculated to make thorn' .. good leaders, strict disciplinariiins, and 3 thoroughly competent officers- up to realise that their career depends uron ii their ability to do their duty, and on that fl alona."