REGIMENTAL CHAPLAINS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1401, 29 March 1912, Page 6

REGIMENTAL CHAPLAINS.

REMARKS BY COLONEL BELL. (Br Telccrapli—Press Association.! Auckland, March 2S. Colonel A lion Bell, Officer Commanding the AVaikato Regiment, in a printed oflicial memorandum to the chaplains attached to the regiment, says: "Chaplains, with a few notable exceptions, have been a useless excrescence 011 various regiments. As a class they have not displayed auy initiative or ability to strike out on modern lines. They do not seem to recognise that it' they are going to do g:od work they will have to cast aside the useless methods of the past, and work 011 lines that appeal to the citizen soldier of a democratic country. The formal service held in a military camp on Sundays is merely a parade productive of unnttered profanity 011 the part of most of those who have to attend. They are doing no really good work for the betterment of the forces, whilst all along the lino there is splendid work to be dono among the thousands of youths of the citizen army of the Dominion." Colonel Bell suggests that chaplains should not be officers, should not hold any military rank whatever, should be organised and trained in the work of running regimental institutes, camp entertainments and amusements of various kinds; that our special duty should be to see that the life of a military camp is made at least more attractive than (lie bar of an hotel or the streets of our towns. "Before any real good can bo done by the chaplains," Colonel Bell concludes, "they must cast aside the obsolete methods which have produced dry rot, amongst which they have lowered their status in the military, forces of the Dominion." A REJOINDER. Auckland, March 28. Replying to Colonel Bell's statements in regard to the chaplains, Mr. \V. E. Gillam, of the Third (Auckland) Mounted Rifles, when approached by a reporter, immediately took up the cudgels on behalf I ol' the chaplains. Mr. Gillam stated at the outset that ho did not wish it to be thought that he was criticising the -work of another chaplain, as ho did not know what the facts of the case were at all. "I agree with Colonel .llell, however, as to the character of services which should he held," said Mr. Gillam. "There is need that the chaplains' department should bo altogether reorganised, and I have been waiting to see what steps General Godley would take in this direction. I think every chaplain holding a commission should tie called upon to serve with the troops during the encampments." If the chaplain fails to do so 110 should be compelled to resign his commission. A chaplain in camp should have a tent to himself, so that 110 might be able to privately interview men as opportunity . occurs. There has, to my mind, been a tendency on the part of commanding officers to ignore the chaplains, but now that this compulsory scheme has been brought into operation parents will not be satisfied unless tho moral and religious welfare of the lads is looked after. I don't think that the chaplains of this province liavo conducted divine serrice in any such slipshod manner as described by Colonel Bell. Tho chaplains of the district I know are desirous of throwing themselves into this new movement, and helping it with the utmost enthusiasm. In view of some of his previous utterances," concluded Mr. Gillam, "tho chaplains of this province cannot be blamed if they do not take Colonel Bell's latest remarks seriously." Chaplain-Major the Rev. William Shirer has for_ years heeli in close touch with the man in khaki. Ho takes strong exception to Colonel Bell's .statements, hut does not think that they will lie seriously regarded by (he public. "Now that the new defence scheme is in operation," he said to a representative of The Dominion last evening, "wo are very anxious to do ell'cctive work, always witlt due regard to the rights of the "various denominations." Chaplain-Major Shirer indicated that lengthy services in camps were not necessary nor desirable, and more secular methods of Supervising the moral welfare of tho lads in training might with . advantage be thought out.