EVENTS IN N.Z.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2252, 11 September 1914, Page 7

EVENTS IN N.Z.

/ PRACTICE IN BATTLE ;■;'.■; ■ TACTICS. ..- OF, COLOURS. " (By- Telegraph,—Special boiTespondent:) , Palmerston Nqi-th; September 10, /'Probably the best opiwrtunity of soeing the whole of oiii- s'econd ariny now ■•■ at camp will be that afforded next Saturday, when they are to parade in the. bquare, with,.three bands, on-their ai- ' rival back, from Feildiug; :On that occasion. . tlie .townspeople will niaxk the- , event-with a display of bunting, and ■tho.Motor Cycld Club has arranged to provide mid distribute fruit to air the troops. Fldwer-sellers ai'e preparing . for 1 , special efforts' .during the day. It is likely that tho colours will then 'bo piibMy. presented. .. The troops will : reach, the Square> at two., b'clock aiid lemain one h<iur. . •'.". ■ . There is a very advanced complexion about the training ildw, being indulged ill Jbythe various sections at- camp, indicating that the men are considered to have master.ed the. l-udiments with sufficient perfection, to justify them in applying them on a battlefield scale. ."While rifle training at the butts still fills in all. the available gaps; there is also daily practice iii the more exhilarating operations'of the.open -fie'd. The whole, of the infantry regiment spent to-day b the open, engaged in attack, practice, /rile Mounted Rifles carried : out skirmishing actions, with field ..firiilg in dismounted action', aiid - general field"duties. 'Major Teinbefley will lecture to the/officers next Monday night on French'.'arid.Gernia'n tactics; • with cdnihienti;,' : ,-'.'. ■ ..' .': The .''Standard , ' reports a rumour ''■-.that the iiext camp ..for. training, the reinforcements after the present troops have departed will iiot be.here, but'at UTonthain. . ■ ' THE AUCKLAND CAMP. • VERY WELL CONDUCTED. : (By Telegraph Aiecxsidtioii-:) ' l AUbkiah'd, September 10: "I'.can emphatically eay that the order and .discipliiie iii iliis camp have ■been excellentj" said a Staff Officer toflay when referring to the "Auckland ■ mobibsatidh canip. "We have had over 2000. men.under; canvas.for sonie weeks; and .we have lad nothing except a. few' isolated.cases j>f drunkenness;"and disprderliness arising .front drink. Tlie . iiien have settled. down 'to. life, under. ■ military ■• cohditioiis very. Well, indeed.; Circumstances arise sometiniesiii which' we -hiive to exercisb' considerable firm-. .. ness, but so long; as we.combine tact and justice; with.firinnes's; .the average British man vnR iiot make, trouble." -■' OFFERS OF MAORIS. i ■-■■■■' FOR•■'; SERVICE ABROAD. ; , 'M' inquiry as to whether the Government could make'a definite statement in regard to. the offers of Maofife to serve with, the .New; Zeajarid Expeditionary , Porcee was made hi tlie House last aight by the.Hon-. A-.-.T;- Ngata (Eastern . Maori District).. : . TJie; Prime, Minister stated-that-the matter had iiot. beeii-. lost sight of: He had been in-* co'mmuhication- with tie Imperial '-authorities' . on 7'the'■"subject . through the .Governor; Hβ had feceiv- , ed. an ..ahsiverj but hp-. was. not yet in .a jposition to'.mako a'-'definite , , statement to .Parliament'; He thought that a- de- . finite, statement would be made within ft few daj's. ■..-.■■ '.■ ■- < }■■ ;■ ■ : THE FIFTH I?teGIMENT , REAR3IED WITH- LONG RIFLES. Tlie sth (Wellington) Regiment is being, rearmed withJLL.E. long Mark I s rifles, iu place of the M.L;E. slort, Mark, 3,- with which ithe regiment' has been a.fmed ill the. past.- This has been rendered necessary owing. to the fact that. fully three-quarters, of tho regi-msnt'-s.short d-ifles were dispatched with the Expeditionary Force to , Sairiba. ■ To make tlie rifle uniform throughout the regiment the change has been" decided , on. _ The mounted men of the Main Ex-peditionary-Force will carry tie sliort rifle, while the infantry will have the: long rifles. -The difference iii' size is about 5 inches, and the difference in 'weight comes to three-quarters of a pcund. -A corresponding difference , is made, in-the length of tie bayonet for the two rifles, 60 that the man with tie long rifle would not.get ally advantage, but the extra length of steel in the long bavoilet on the short, rifle wculd come in handy in a bayonel charge. _ ■ ■ . ' -.■ ■■ . LONDON JUST BEFORE THE WAR BOW THE HEART OF THE EMPIRE ... BEATON , JULY 30. '• ■'■" ,"We are , living .in stirring times,'.' 'writes, a New in London in a letter, to his father, in Wellington, dated July 30—just before.', war was declared. ''We don't want war, and wouldn't, lift: a finger-on Servia's'hehalf, but if France is attacked, we feel we must fight, 'for: we can't afford to nave the balance of power > destroyed. It's (ike, the house that Jack built.. We have had aterrible week so far. in two days (lour has risen 2s. 6d. to 4s. a »«■■; It may have risen again to-day, ill.food prices have risen,on the war -■ scaro. If Avar comes heaveii knows how high prices will go. On the Stock Exchange prices have gone to pot; Most of tho European exchanges have closed. The ..Paris settlement has been post- , poned until. the. end of August. In London nothing can be sold except by negotiation. Even Consols are sold by negotiation.'.; Dealers won't; make prices.-. There were seven failures.yesterday, and two (one , big . one) this morning. Everybody ,is '.scared and gloomy. There's no deairo for war, but I •.we,feel we have to fight if the rest of : Europe does. . Unfortunately tlo rest of Euorpe seems to havo caught die war fever. Food prices- iayo rison 50 to 100 per cent, in Vienna, and per-' , haps , that ' will damp their spirits a little. It is to be hoped so.. _."Here, all army and police leave has hhon .stopped. Woolwich , has received ?00 extra police to protect the Arsenal. Troops lave been moved to .all the powder and arms factories. Oil stores nnd aeroplano works are guarded by troops. Tho Fleeit Ins. disappeared, and the ships guarding the Irish coast have been recalled to Portsmouth. In fact, wo are -taking precautions.'. France and. Germany are both hurrying troops to the frontier. Belgium lias actually mobilised. ,The French translator in our office las his .orders in his.pockot, but as yet tlo call las' not come. All foroign schoolboys have I'een ordered out of Germany/Train loads or Germans are leaving France, and train loads of Russians are leaving. Germany. We sent some papers in a patent matter to the Austrian Consul for "legalisation." We were told to come back in three days, when it might be attended to. Tlio shadow of war lies over Europe' and in England there is no brief glimpse of patriotism and excitement, for no o'je wants to.figlt. We are all gloomy at this thought. It isn't our quarrel, and it never will he, so wo-are merely annoyed thought of being dragged in. ' "To-night the news is very eloomy, but tliere ie still lopo, and Sir EdT/ard Grey is doing his best. Ho is tin fin»i?t Foreign Secretary wo have ever liacl-