THE TRAINING OF OUR SOLDIERS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2980, 18 January 1917, Page 6

THE TRAINING OF OUR SOLDIERS

Sir, —For over ten years uefore.coming to New Zealand I was connected with an institution that prepared boys for our Army and Navy colleges, and 1 also coached young cadets while attending those colleges. Over 20 of my old pupils (then officers) were killed or wounded in the South African war. At least 70 to 80 have been, or are, engaged in tho present war. I have been in communication with several of them (luring tho past few years—more particularly since tho war began. 1 have learned a good deal from some of them as to the training to which tho Home volunteers and conscripts are subjected, and I gather that it differs considerably from that to which our New Zealand soldiers are subjected!; and I gather, also, from prominent officials in the Defence Department that the Department is fully aware of the difference. For instance, it is only in raro circumstances that a Home soldier is called upon to "face the enemy" until he has had a. full year's training. Colonial soldiers have been called, and ordinarily have to "face the enemy" | within eight or nine months of begin- | ning training (two of those months being spent at sea). In almost all Homo regiments undergoing training facilities are provided for the men to acquire some knowledge of French. Now, ivhy should 1 not somo provision be made at our training camps for instruction in French and even in German on a modest scale? It would be of tho greatest .service. Many of the corporals and sergeants from New Zealand have been deprived of their "stripes" on arriving at the Home bases, in most cases because some knowledge; of French was (and I think rightly enough) insisted on. I am assured by officer correspondents (old pupils) that an officer without any knowledge of French is under great handicap, and often a. source of serious disaster. I learn that many officers (who have no knowledge of French or German) have to be provided with orderlies who have—this is surely ludicrous. Surely all this could be easily rectified by a little cemmbn-sense and foresight on tho part of tho Defence Department. As for the fact that our men are called upon to "face the enemy" on but about six months' actual training, while the Old Country soldiers get a full year, one of our leading military officers hero informs me that it is due to the fact that the Old Country soldier requires six months' preliminary feeding (!) before his serious training begins! Surely this is too thin! Those used to privations should he tho more easily equipped for service. Personally I ani strongly of opinion that the "rusli" in training to which our colonials aro subjected is too inuch for many of them (used to comparative luxury), and accounts for a good deal of the serious sickness in our camps. I am' well aware that our Defence Department is only too anxious to provide for the comfort of our men. New as it is to war conditions, we can readily understand its. overlooking rot a few things.—l am. etc., LOYALTY.