CAMPS IN FULL SWING.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2233, 20 August 1914, Page 6

CAMPS IN FULL SWING.

THE COUNTRY'S GIFTS OF MEN & HORSES

TO HELP THE EMPIRE.

SCHEME TO MEET UNEMPLOYMENT & RELIEVE DISTRESS

The response of the Wellington military district to the call for volunteers for the Expeditionary Force has been | enthusiastic, and-to dato 5372 men and ~286 officers, have offered their services. Enrolling is still proceeding at the Wellington Drill; Hall, but tho number of men offering has considerably slackened off; during the past two days, as it is being mado known that all the men required for the next contingent have, been The concentration camp at Awahuni Racecourse, Palmerston North,, has now settled down to' ;hard work,, officers and men alike receiving instruction. Major Potter is camp commandant, and he has associated with him Captain J. H. AVhyte as his chief staff officer; Captain Trask. as paymaster; Captain Hamilton in charge of the Army 'Service Corps,, and Captain Palmer in charge of the ordinance. -~ The _ first duty of the day at the camp is physical drill for all branches,, and every morning the officers are put through .courses of musketry drill by Captain.'Rose, district musketry instructor.' The l weather has now clear-, ed :un, and steady work along all lines is-being proceeded with. . ,- •'; Fresh • detachments are arriving at Ealnierstoil by every train Yesterday morning a contingent of ISO .Territorials'arrived by the ferry steamer Wa.the Canterbury, and Otago. districts,, and went through\later to the Palinerston : camp." •;// . ' ..The services, voluntarily Offered, of a large number of-members of the' ex-Wellington Naval Garrison Artillery have beeii accepted by the Defence authorities, and .the men'are now doing 'relief work at Fort Ballance. Being experienced inen at gunnery ', their services were'really accepted, and up to the -present .they ' have been rendering valuable, assistance.' V '. ■ ': .'lt is notified that, "until further notice only Territorials (at present ..serving), will.'".be medically exainined, attested, or'sworn in. Those other than >the above.should-register.'their names how, but will not come up for .examination -until called/upon. /■' "Officers on unattached list B (Senior Cadets) will be permitted to revert ;to the ranks for the purpose of serving in the Expeditionary Force, and may be given, leave for the. period they are absent. -The names of those taking advantage of this should, bersent to, district headquarters for, record. . It is un-' nccessary'fpr thorn to'resign.theircommissions." . ;. '. ■. :. * RECRUITINCIN OTHER CENTRES. SOME CORPS MARCH ,IN FULLY ■r- ; ' ■>;-./ EQUIPPED.. ; : . ■;"•'. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) ; ; ,: ; 'Christchurch, August 19. /Close .upon 1300 men were in Addington.'cainp, this morning, and the force- should be complete in a couple of :(lays/ Last night's parade states show- ■ ed/that 904 f infantry, ■ 323; mounted men/-and 56 ambulance men were un;der. canvas," a total of 1283;. The in-. J'antry' companies formed from the Ist and '13th, Regiments are now plete. There ;w'as a scene of animation about/Lytteltoh: this morning consequent upon' l the arrival of the Pateena with 250trooDs from, the Nelson district, of whom, 100 were infantry and the remainder! mounted infantry.. There wore also 114 horses. \ The .troops left for tho:Aldington camp'.'.miring the day; '-': ''"■■ ; :■,'■''' • \. : ';';/// ;■„.: ••; /Foxton, August 19. .Between- 20-and 30 men .have gone into' camp; /some '. of whom' have provided their' own horses and equipment. 1 ■.■:.''.:: -'., '•■*"'- ;'.■ W Timaru, ;August ,19. , Therlast;pitty \ol troopers left to-dayi-fof'/Ch'ristohuroh. . .■■'■-', ■'',';.*:*■< . Dunedin, August 19. ' There are. 1066 men' in the : Dunedin camp.. : ' . '"' ■.. ..'• ■ .■;..}; ;-.* .''•';;- Blenheim, August 19.: '.'The Marlborough■.contingent of the Expeditionary' Force consists •of about '150 men. Of theso ,50 are mounted,. and ' have been equipped, with horses, /saddles, covers, etc., by .Marlborough residents. ■;.. Both mountgd' ' and foot :have: been,'completely equipped with kit i.Tlie farmers have promised over £600 worth of ifodder.''-, : , ''~'■. -'.MASTERTON'SMEN. , .'About-200; infantry men; from all: parts of .'tho Wastertpn military area, whichextends/from Piikehou to Palliser Bay, have, departed .from Mastcrton to Palmerston North, fully,equipped. The ,infantr.v kit supplied 2 single 'blankets,)' 1 waterproof sheet,. 2 , towels, 1 .militafy~brush,' 1 comb, 2 shirts, 2 ,nndervests,.2- drawers, .2 pairs socks, 1 cholera belt, '3;handkerchiefs, 1 holdall (containing a knife, fork, and spoon), a '"housewife"'fitted,, enamel plate' and, mug., addition, 'all the mounted meii. from, the Wairarapa '; have- been found a'horse, saddle/bridle, and 'all other equipment : .by the "Wairarapa War .Fund, ".;"-,•.■'•• ~. , - The/Grey town. Rifle Club has decijlcd to oer the services'df members to form part of a reserve to | the 17tlv Regiment, and to have;a scheme, of drills allotted to them.;;in order-to > allow them to' quality, for. active' service. ' A;; THE DEFENCE SCHEME. /'/TO ,Gpi ON AS USUAL. ._' A general statement about the carrying on of: the defence scheme while the .Expeditionary-; Force is .abroad .was given-yesterday to a reporter by the Hon. J. Allen, Minister of Defence. ' : •. "I don't think it will, be necessary to call out any more Territorials," said Mr. Allen. ; 'Indeed, I hope we shall bo able to/let some of those alreadymobilised- go back to their homes and ,to their work. It all depends on'circumstances, but I-should like to let as many as possible: of them go as soon'as i can. The ordinary work of the defence scheme will bo carriedonas usual. A sufficient staff of officers will 'remain hero to carry ,dn the system as it has been carried on generally. At any rate this is what wo hope. The staff has been'so arranged that sufficient officers will, be left to carry on satisfactorily:Officers commanding districts will be appointed to replace .those ,' going away. . ■;. '.£'■,•- "AH the country wants to be trained now,.but I can't afford to do it. They want a natural reserve of all sorts of things. It js very patriotic for so many to offer their services, and I value it very highly indeed. I am deluged with requests from'both pakehas and Maoris. "The rifle club men have acted exactly as I expected they would act. I knew that whon wo' wanted -them they would come forward. They are part of our defence schomo. and wo always expected them to answer the call when a call was mado. Thoy havo nobly responded. "Army reservists belonging to the Army at Home are going to England with the transports, and somo Royal Naval Reserve, men, anxious to get Home, aro going as members of the , crows of tho troopahios. I don't know

that there will bo any training at Homo for our Expeditionary Force. I haven't any official communication on the subject. As far as wo know, they aro going to the front."