TOLD TO THE SAVAGES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1163, 26 June 1911, Page 6

TOLD TO THE SAVAGES.

FACTS ABOUT DEFENCE. SPEECH BY MAJOR-GENERAL GODLEY. Major-General A. J. Godley, C.8., Commandant of tho New Zealand Forces, and several members of tho General Staff at Headquarters, wero the guests of the Wellington Savage Club's "Coronation Night" kurero at the Club Room, Masonic Hall, on Saturday evening, and, in response to ail invitation to say a few words about military matters, the General gave an interesting address, ilavom-ed with a spice of humour, as befitted the occasion, on the present slate of tho development of our citizen army. He was more than pleased, ho remarked, with the Coronation Review at Newtown Park on Thursday last. Tho troops had only had one rehearsal together; one or two things were pointed out and at once rectified. In his opinion the review would have done credit to any outside country, and the next ono would be as well done as by the troops at Home.

They had made a good start with the new defence scheme by sending ten lads to the Military College in Australia. He had had a chat with the young men before they left, and he felt sure that under General Bridges (who was a personal friend of his), the Commandant of the Australian Military College, the NewZealand cadets will receive a firstclass military training, which would enable them to return to New Zealand to take up the duties of officers. Tho examination of next year's candidates would, he added, bo held in connection with the matriculation examinations in December next, and papers on the subject would be distributed shortly to all schools and colleges. Officers for Camberley. In a reference to the sending of New Zealand officers to an Imperial Staff College for light study, General Godley remarked that there were four candidates in the Dominion for the forthcoming examination for entrance to the Staff College. One vacancy at Cambcrley was assured, and it was hoped that possibly another might bo- given at cither Camberley or Quetta. Major M'Donald, Captain Richardson, and Captain Chesney. of the New Zealand Staff corps, and Captain Gardner, of the R.N.Z.A., are the candidates. This, lie sni-l, was very good. It was too much to expect, that they would all pass or even that any of them would first shot, but from these" it was hoped some would qualify for training at the staff colleges at Home or in India, as Colonel Chaytor liad, and as Colonel Bauchop was now doing. The Probationary Officers. "The period of probation for the new officers and non-commissioned officers of the permanent staff is nearing completion," continued the General, "and it is hoped from the reports received of them, and from what I have seen of their work, that there will not be more than ono or two cases in which the Government will not bo glad to confirm their appointments. Practically all the officers and most of the noil-commissioned officers are New Zealanders, and I shall never wish to have a belter lot of men under my command."

He had now travelled the whole of New Zealand, and ho felt that the public were beginning to get a clearer idea as to ivhat the new defence scheme meant. Everywhere lie had been lie had been shown the utmost courtesy and consideration, which he deeply appreciated. The registration had now been completed. The medical examination will commence tills week, as soon as a sufficient number of record books have been issued. The training is to be, as far as possible, universal, so there will be few rejections on medical grounds, and it is hoped that mauv weaklings will derive benefit from it. Rifle Club Men. "Wo hope," ho said, "that all men, after they have completed their territorial service, at the age of twenty-five, or their reserve service at tbo age of thirty, will join rifle clubs and remain in them till the ago of 55. It is hoped by this means to form a second voluntary reservo from the rifle clubs, who will be expected, in return forxerfain concessions granted by the Government; to carry out an annual course of musketry prescribed by the military authorities. At first they had made the age 45, but had found everyone in New Zealand to be so young at 45 that they mado it 50; again, there was comment from 'youths' over that age, who wished to keep up their shooting, so it was finally fixed at 55. What ho would like to impress upon the rifle clubs was the necessity of going in more for service shooting—difficult service shooting under service conditions. He did not wish them (o give up the bull'seve altogether, but the line of greatest valuo was service shooting. By building up the forces in the manner outlined by the scheme, New Zealand would have a citizen army sufficiently strong and efficient to make any nation think twice about tackling it." Training Starts in September, The territorials and cadets would he trained by competent instructors throughout the Dominion. It was not clear yet exactly how this would be accomplished, but every outlying township and village, and even the etatious would be visited by instructors, and somehow or other all would be brought into camp once a year. Some of tho sparsely-settled districts, such as those in the vicinity of North Cape and the mountainous parts of Otago and (he south-western fiords, had been exempted from duty. What he now wished to bring about was a good understanding between the army authorities and employers of labour. They did not wish to be hard on anyone—be felt that all classes know that—and it. would be his endeavour _to carry out the scheino of organising New Zealand's army with a minimum of discomfort and inconvenience both to employer and employes. They Hoped to have the work of registration completed by August, and to make a start with the training work in September. Some of the officers and non-commissioned officers coming from Home as instructors had arrived, and the rest were expected at the end of the month. Another thing Ke was going to try and arrange was an alliance between the British regiments which served in New Zealand and the regiments ■now being formed here. He was sure that the old regiments at Homo would welcome the idea, which would be an agreeable bond of sentiment between the successors of those who had fought in New Zealand and those who wero in readiness to do so should the occasion arise. Out-of-date Guns. Artillery was another interesting point. Our field artillery guns were "as little uss as a headache," he said. One of the new quick-firers would silence the lot in about a minute and a half. They were rectifying that' by importing twelve of the latest 18-poundcr quick-firers, some new Maxims, and full equipment. Some of these would soon be on the water, and he hoped that they would receive them all by the end of the year. Then they would ho ready for everyouo who liked to come along.

He was more than ever convinced that the right lines were being adopted here, and that ere long New Zealand would have, a citizen army that would be s pattern to the whole world.