OUR TRAINING METHOD

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2610, 4 November 1915, Page 8

OUR TRAINING METHOD

EXCELLENT RESULTS

COMMENDATION OF WAR OFFICE His Excellency the Governor has received from tho Secretary of State for the Colonies a cable message which shows how highly tho Army Council values the New Zealand troops. The Defence Minister Hon. J. Allen) informed a Dominion reporter yesterday that tho Army Council has intimated that the training of. the New Zealand forces has proved uniformly satisfactory, while their discipline, physical efficiency, zeal, powers of endurance, intelligence, and general aptitude for warfare, as exemplified in several most arduous operations, have been beyond praise, and have enabled them to render most conspicuous services to tho common cause. The Army Council is confident that future demands on the manhood of Now Zealand will bo met by the provision of forces of no less military value. "This," added tho Minister, "proves that our system of recruiting and training men, arid bringing them into camp'at definite periods for instruction, has been founded on right lines and properly carried out, and I need say no more than this—that it has earned the commendation of the Army Council, the highest British military authority.

"During my Visit to the south," said Mr. Allen, "I had an opportunity of meeting some of the people who are asking for local camps, and I think they are beginning to realise that it is not n feasible proposition. The very excellent result that has been secured up till the present shows tho soundness of the present system. It is our duty to interfere as little as possible with industry and employment. Furthermore Wo cannot well handle a very much larger, number of men than we are dealing with now, and to have local camps in different parts of the country, with men coming into them as they enlist, would largely increase the disorganisation of business, and would not promote efficiency at any point, lb would raise serious difficulty with regard to equipment and training. These points appeal to the Defence Department more closely probably than they have done to thoso \'ho have been asking for local camps."