MAKING SOLDIERS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 192, 3 May 1918, Page 6

MAKING SOLDIERS

SYSTEM OF TRAINING HERE OR ABROAD? COLONEL GIBBON DEFENDS PRESENT POLICY STRONG REASONS STATED The Defence Expenditure Commission li;w interested ilsi'lf m the method of training ot our troops in i\"ew Zealand and in England, 'i'lie question is not ono that comes within the oilier of reference- of the Commission except in so far as it effects expenditure. Several witnesses who have appeared belo.e ' Uio Commission have declared I hat our present i.vscein of training tlw Iroops for sixteen wi-elw in this country is wasteful of time, and money, ami that both time and money could be saved by having a shorter period of training here, and a longer nrnl more intensive training in England. Colonel C. 11. Gibbon, Chief of the General Staff, who is in charge of the training hero of our troops, was before the Commission yesterday, and lie was called upon to answer the following question: Are you satisfied with tho present period of training for members of tho Expeditionary Force? If not, should it be shorter or longer? Tho Problem Stated. lu reply, Colonel Gibbon made the following very full statement of his opin,ions on the subject:— "The question of length of training in New Zealand," iie said, "resolves itself into two problems:— (a) Whether the New Zealand present system of training men prior to' embarkation is correct; or whether it wouid bo preferable to embark recruits at the earliest possiblo moment to undergo their whole training in the United Kingdom. (b) If the New Zealand .system be correct, whether mo sixteen weeks' courso of training which at present obtains can be reduced or not with due regard to efficiency. "The most important period of the' J soldier's training is that constituted by his first two or three mounts' ccrvicu. Under the system of embarking men as soon us possible, there is no opportunity to instil discipline- and solditny spirit. The real training would not commence until the man hud received nearly three months' service, ono in New Zealand aim two at sea. i Further, under such a system there is no opportunity lor oip draft in Xe\i Zealand to set an example to another. Via have found by experience that one draft exercises a great inllueneo for good over another. A draft which has required tho influence of example from one draft, later on may in its turn set an example to ijnother. This aspect of the problem is a most important one, since the slightest tendency towards disorderly conduct reacts unfavourably on recruiting throughout the Dominion. But under tho present system the New Zealand recruit is instructed m 'discipline and soldierly spirit under a caretully thought out scheme right from tho day ho comes into camp, and this continues without break until he actually arrives in tho firing-line. It is considered that raising men in this fashion and carrying out their training under a definite programme, produces better results than if they were sent to the United Kingdom as a disorganised mob to undergo their training there. The difficulty of inculcating discipline in a mass of men who have acquired unchecked the seeds of indiscipline is infinitely more difficult than in (lie case of men whoso instruction commences and continues without break from the very start of j their military life. Our Soldiers' Fair Name. "The effect of training her soldiers iu New Zealand is that i\ow Zealand soldiers nave rareiy if ever brought discredit on tile Dominion overruns, at pores oj cull, in the United Kingdom, or in Egypt. • Tho reputation 01 New Zealand rests in the hands of her soldiers, and every effort should be, and is, made to enable tueiti. to acquit themselves to her Honour. Everyone must admit that tho reputation of thu New Zealand Bolcliers is high. It can only be due to two factors: The-inheront qualities of her population, and tiie training of her soldiers. Tho present system has enabled the Dominion to gain a great military reputation out of all proportion to the size of her population. Would the saving in expense involved in a small curtailment of training justify the adoption of a system, which, whilst it has provided elsewhere for the training of men forthcoming, has invariably been accompanied by recruiting difficulties?" Matters of Opinion. ■The Commissioners interrupted Colonel Gibbon hero to take exception to two of his terms. The chairman first of all would not havo it that the term "disorganised mob ,, was justified as applying to troops leaving other countries, saj , , Canada aDd Aks-.w-lia, after short training in tueir own country to go to England. Colonel Gibbon insisted that there could bo no real training in a month, and Unit nothing but harm could come ef such a shortening of tho local period oi training. His only regret, he sail!, was that he could not have the recruits tor a year. The chairman also took I'xccplion to the statement that the .übptic;-, nf tho : eystem or a short period of trailing in i other countries hail "invariably bwmac- ! companied !>y recruiting difficulties." ! Colcnel Gibboi. at once instanced lreluud, 1 Canada, and Australia, 'as eisiiporcinjr his : statement. In these countries, lie said, ! the custom was to export the recruits ; at the earliest possibia moment, and tho '■ result in all of them wns that recruitI ing suffered. Sir Robert. Anderson said \ that the case was not proved. In all ; these countries the failure of recruiting i was due, not to system of training, but i to inl'.u'iial political dissensions, lie also i expressed tho opinion 'hat Australia had j done well under tho voluntary system, t quite as well as New Zealand had done, i but that the fatal mistake made thero I was tho submission of flio conscription i issue lo tho referendum. Now Zealand j had been fortunate in having a wise ! Government and a wis« Parliament. If tho question had been submitted to a referendum here, conscription would not have been carried, nor would it have been carrfed in England. Colonel Gibbon did not press the pint, and ho altered the word "invariably" (o "some times." Danger of Sendinp. Untrained Men. "The correctness of the New Zealand principle of training men in New Zealand to such a degree of efficiency as is pmsiblo. lo attain," witness resumed, "•has boon affirmed on repeated occasions, when it has been found necessary to utilise reinforcements on arrival ovor«ns \>;ii!iout delay. Tliu li'iith Kciiiu.u-u----meuts, which loft New Zealand in lSllfi, were landed .straight from the transports, and sont direct into action on Gallipoli. The draft, owing to the training which it had had in New Zealand, was of great value at a critical moment. Jjiiring later periods of the war, it has often been found necessary to send our reinforcements ovor to France almost as soon as they arrived in the United Kingdom. Such imergencies have mcurred in the past, and no doubt they »;ill occur again in the future. It is. therefore, considered that the policy of training tho soldier in New Zealand, an far , as is possiblo under the circumstances, is sound, -iiul should not lif abandoned, under i.ny consideration." Mr. Rhodes said that Colonel Gibbon seemed to suggest ihat the British commanders were not to be trusted with discretion as to whether drafts weru well trained or not. Colonel Gibbon: A British commander, when ho is facing the enemy, and the line is broken, ami fun Germans are coming through, miist use all I ho troops he can get lo stop 'he break. Tip cannot nffnril to consider nnvHiinjr else. The chairman: If vou did siiy that you oould not tru,st them you would be on sound ground. Ths Food Question. "Tho training in New Zealand admits

of a reduction of tho period which would otherwise have to bo spent in the Unued Kingdom. This is of obvious importance under the present condition pl.ies in tho United Kingdom. Every mouth to lie fed is a matter of moment. It is considered that it would be entirely falso policy for Now Zealand to throw on to the United Kingdom the onus of feeding her soldiers in training, whilst they can bo trained ■and fed i" New Zealand, wjiero there is no difficulty regardin; supplies. . . "Ifnder present londilions of training, it is possible to take advantage of all shipping possible. Transports can bo filled, oven though it involve-; the "gt-eat, disadvantage of sending away partially trained men. Men must be given due notice to come into camp, whilst <=hi;i- j ping conditions change from day to day. If mnn were to bo >mbarked entirely untrained, it is quite certain (hat slti;« would generally sail without tho full complement, and ihnt mnn would frequently he uselessly held in camp. Both results' involve los?'. Fewer Unfits Shipped. "Now that shipping l space is bo valuable, apart from the huge waste of money involved, no man should be sent lo the front unless lie has been proved, as far as may be practicable, prior to embarkation, to be fit for service at the front. The longer the period of training in New Zealand the more chauco tho medical authorities have to oliininalo tho men who are going to be of no use at tho front. The discharges from I he training camps amounted to 23S in l<lll, 1413 in 1015,. 3786 in 1910, Ji72 in 11)17, and 881 to April 20, 1918. The cost if these 10,773 men had been sont to the front and then returned to Now Zealand for discharge would have been enormous. It has been found by experience that tho greater number of discharges that occur takn place in from the twelfth to tho sixteenth week of training, when the men have been thoroughly tested by the stronuous training they havo undergone. Acting ou the medical advice, when the recruits first come into camp they are not pushed too hard. Accordingly, a mau may got through the earlier stages of tlio training and break down later on. To niako the earlier period if training more intensive and to gain a shorter training period thereby, woull mean breaking down men who are wot strong enough to sland a suddan chauco from indoor life to outdoor camp lifo with tho physical strain of bouily exercko not properly graduated. Tho system of putting untried men on board with trained drafts only involves waste of "pace on board transports, since such men cut outfit !iien. Further, they must cither be returned to Now Zealand, i.gain taking the place of wounded and worn-out men for whom it is difficult to find aeeommodatiou even Tinder present conditions, or they must be kept in tho United Kingdom at the expense of New Zealand, and consuming valuable food. "Tho present system of sixteen weeks' training in New" Zealand admits of an opportunity to carry out the necessary dental treatment to lit Hie men for service. One month. I understand, wou.ld be quite 'inadequate for even minor treatment; whikt tho supply of dentures would bo out of the question. Valuable Experience. "It \i considered that the arge training camps which havo been maintained in New Zealand will be productive of considerable fixperieiico in regard to the handling of .urge bodies of men. I only the same experience had existed prior to tho present war, many of tho ■essons which have bot-u gradually learnt in tho training camps could have been applied at the outset, and matters arranged on occasion differently. Every day further lessons are being learnt, and close studies have been made ol the problems which arise. This experience would, to a great extent, bo thrown away if tho training wem carried on oversea instead of in the Dominion. "It is considered, that New Zealand will be able to obtain appreciable value from the camps which have been erected in this country to enablo the training of men to be carried out. The buildings, equipment, etc., will bo of great value to tho Territorial Forco alter tho war. ■ ... "Under the system of training reinforcements in New Zealand, tho money spent on tho equipment, buildings, supplies, and pay of the men is spent within tho Dominion, and not overseas. It is considered that this is an important point, and weight should bo given to its bearings on the problem. Not Much Loss of Time. "It has been urged that, if New Zealand troops were trained in the United Kingdom instead of in New Zealand, a great saving would be effected in tho period of training. This great reduction of tho training period is scarcely borne out by a close investigation of facts. AVheu tho New Zealand reinforcements undergo their full period of sixteen weeks' training, the normal period oi training at Sling is five weeks. I Ins statement is based on General Richardson's report, No. 22, dated September 28, 1917, in which ho says: 'The period for training of reinforcements at Slmg is one month, but latterly greater i> ■ bere have lieen arriving with very little training, and will, therefore, have to be kept in' England for fourteen weeks lo go through a complete course.' _ In Ins report No. 23 he more clearly defines the normal period as five weeks. The drafts alluded to had to be embarked with only ci«ht to twelve weeks' training, owing to shortages on inwilisation. I herefore under normal circumstances, the New' Zealand soldier received a tola, of twenty-one tfwbr" trainins; consisting_of sixteen weeks :u New Zealand and nvo in the United Kingdom, and of this ten lavs art spent 0,, final leave. Under the system of carrying out tho whole training in the United \ingdora. a minimum of lour weeks must be allowed in New Zealand. This is essential from a medical point of view, apart from administrative considerations. Then there «the full period of fourteen weeks ot the War Oftico course, of training to be earned out in the United Kingdom. Four weeks m New Zealand could not be considered lo mluco this period, since it njw already been shown that eight weeks did not do so Therefore, the total period required nnilnr the system is eighteen weeks, with p otbiy an additional "cek for leave prior to embarkation for I-nine* J is wiudored. however, liuit tho extra- two or three weeks onUuU-d by the present New Zealand system is moro than counterbalanced by the- advantages gained. •A-ain, under the New Zealand system "if troops aw temporarily delayed m embarkation, training is continued, and tiino is not lost. In the system oi train-in-r overseiw there would bo no machinery or at.iff for carrying out efhoient training, and all oxtra time so spout in tho .Dominion would bo lost. iurtiier when embarkation is considerably delayed beyond the time- when the men 'am'considered to bo lully efficient as judged by the New Zoahnd standard, steps can be taJcen to grant tho wen leave without pay. This course has beLii adopted in the case oi several Mounted Rilles. Artillery, Engineers, and Arniy Service Corps drafts, with good results Nearly 100 per cent, of tho men avail tlu'mselves of tho opporhmj ity of taking tho- leave, even though they lo'so pay. Tho value to Recruiting, "But there is a more, important factor than all .others, it i» considered that New Zealand's system of iraining her recruits has largely been rcsuonsible tor the maintenance of her war spirit, and, consequently, for the share she has taken i in tho war. laree in proportion lo her size. May »vt not perhaps trace a canse • of' the' difficulties which have arisei' in ; Ireland. Canada, »nd Australia to tho I fact that the recruits of these countries ! uro normally exported foi iraining as soon 1 ns possible after they hav. been enlisted? The effect of such a svstem on tho minds of wives, relations, and friends : must be enormous Men aro torn from : their families and hoin.s at nun Wow. The effect on women is particularly heavy, and. after all, they form a half of our population, and do much to make , the national spirit. The Now Zealand system nets differently. The man on coming into coiup is not finally part , , d from all his i:i''.'re.si.',. his iViomls, hi;; relations, and his i'he blov; li. softened. Me- i-iiim•* itilo camp a civilian often opposed to ■ anilitary service. He undergoes training, and improves perceptibly, in physical condition at least. He viou", in majority .if the cases, his military service in a more favourable light. He enjoys the open air life, with plenty of good comnulee: he absorbs the soldierly spirit to a great-

or or a less degree. Vhis epirit he passes ou lo Ihosu with vlioni nu comes m contact when on Icavt, and the national purpobo is kept idivo. J''inally, by the lime Jio sails Horn tho Dominion ha is generally reaiiy to play the game; ho is out to do his best, and his lrieuds and relations have beer, cccuslomed gradually to his departure- 'Ihe public fee 1 the raw recruit as ho goes into camp; they seo him on final leave, on visits to tho camp or at embarkation time, lliore. is no doubt that the training iu New Zealand bus helped to create thu patriotic spirit which has rendered tho .Military [service Act |io=siblo "Under present circumstances every possible available space in shipping leaving ±\ew Zealand is car-mark-ul for New /ii-a-laiul soldiers. The urgent coll is for men. Surely the New Zealand system which enables the man to go !o Krance a month after arrival -3 inlinilely more valuable to the Kmpire than a, sveteni which entails a deli- tf of three- and a half months? New Zealand embarks trained men to furnish her quota of reinforcements, whilst other Dominions embark raw recruits. Therefore, the Now Zealand Division is in a stronger position than any force maintained by the. other system, sinco it can utilise its drafts two months and a half carlii-r. Moreover, there is a greater probability of a smaller number of rejections, since the unfits havo been weeded out in New Zealand. Long Period Desirable. "I think I have tOiown that the Defence Department not only has grounds, but is correct in its policy of carrying out a considerable part of the soldier's training prior to embarkation. It now remains to consider tho possibility of reducing tho normal period of training of sixteen weeks. "Tho most important branch of training in camp is the inculcation of discipline and the soldierly spirit. It is not considered that these can be cultivated in a short period of time. If an attempt is made to 'cram' discipline and soldierly spirit, it simply means that the effect is superficial. It is not instilled ns an instinct and as a habit. Tho voyage to the United Kingdom exercises a ileterioraling effect on discipline, and, if the standard of discipline were lower, the deterioration would be even greater and more serious in its after-effects. Dis- i upline and soldierly spirit mean a .great , deal in the present war. Discipline has frequently saved the lives of our men. Its importance cannot be over-rated. I am of opinion that a minimum of six- ' teen weeks is necessary to lr.y the fouii- i dation of good discipline, and I would like to have a longer time. "Early in the war the Army Council requested that New Zealand reinforce- j rnenls should receive at lenst two : months' training prior to embarkation. This minimum period was originally taken as the etamlnrd, but was not found to be long enough to produce results satisfactory to the New Zealand Expeditionary l'orcc. Sixteen Weeks All Needed. "Admitting that tho policy of training in New Zeulaud is correct, it stands to reason that tho object must bu to train the men to such a standard as will admit of the reduction of the training period in the United Kingdom to a minimum. General Richardson in his report No. 22 alludes to the normal period in Sling as 'one month,' and iu his report No. "3 as 'live weeks.' It is considered that it would be useless to attempt'to reduce this period, since a month is essential to enable men to become fit after a long voyage, and to- equip them for service in France. The normal period of sixteen weeks' training, therefore, would appear to be sufficiently long. It remains, then, to consider the possibility of reducing the sixteen weeks. All reports from the Vnited Kingdom show that when the training period in New Zealand has been curtailed, fault has been found with the training. General ltichardson in his report No. 23' states that tho training period in Sling had to lie increased to the full course of fourteen weeks, and in his report No. 2-1 to nine weeks, to make up for loss of training in New Zealand. The drafts in question were embarked with large nnmbera of men of only eight and twelvo weeks' training respectively. This shows that any reduction of the training period of sixteen weeks in New Zealand is accompanied by a disproportionate addition to the training in Sting. In other words, the .shorter period of training in New t Zealand has not sufficient depth to withstand the disintegrating effects of the long voyage. Therefore, except under the compulsion of necessity which arises from time to time, there should be no reduction in the sixteen weeks' course. "Even granted a standard period of 6ixteen weeks' training, it has frequently been found necessary to send away drafts which had mainly only undergone eight or twelvo weeks' training. This has been rendered necessary owing to endden calls for increased reinforcements, to drafts coming up short, to isolation by tho medical authorities, to leave granted by military .service boards, to discharges, and to'deserters. Men must frequently be transferred from one draft to another to make up shortages on embarka. Hon. "Under present conditions of shipping, space cannot bo wasted, nor can transports be delayed in New Zealand ports a day longer than is absolutely necessary for loading. It has frequently been found necessary to embark a draft I a week or two prior "to its proper date ot sailing, in order rot lo delay a transport. 'It is with the utmost reluctance that the Defence Department ombarke men with less than the full period of training, and then only when compelled by absolute necessity. "Slackness" on tho Voyage. "The question has been raised ap to whether the New Zealand training has not been rendered useless, or at least largely discounted, by the lung voyage. It is admitted t.hat the standard of triming and disciplino do fall during tho voyage. But it is certain that when tho sixteen weeks' course has been completed a very few days' work enables tho men to again reach their old cfliciency. A short refresher course only is needed, not a full course. But the temporary effect of a long voyage is'not peculiar to Now Zealand troops, as a similar result was observed in the case of ltegular troops sent on long voyages prior to tha*.present war. Moreover, the training iiWVew I Zealand has started the men in the right way, and every report from the Bass Depot emphasises the rapidity with which the men pick up the special technical training for tho trenches. "ft must not lie forgotten that the sixteen weeks nominally spent; in camp does not really mean a period of moro than twelve weeks' training;. Tho men do not begin to arrive in camp until nearly the middle of the mobilisation week, and some iiipn do not arrive until the end of tho week. Embarkation again cute into the last week. Tip. sixteen weeks nominally spent in camp is roughly made up as follows; Mobilisation, 1 week; final leave, 2 weeks broken into; embarkation, inoculation, etc., 1 week; training, 12 weeks. Moreover, out of the twelve weoks' training n considerable portion of time must lie deducted fop camp duties, fatigues, work, sickness, and special leave. . . "Tho period of twelve weeks' training and four weeks spent nthomisa at present obtaining in camp is, in ray opinion, the absolute minimum for infantry and artillery. In tho case of Mounted Kifli's, when men have to be taught mounted work and horsemanship as well as dismounted work, and in viow of the handicap 'if training; in Egypt, the training period extends to twenty weeks, llic latter peri.ul is also necessary for mn-chine-guniiL'rs and signallers, who must be trained as infantry before taking up thoir specialist training. Jhe period o training in New Zealand is too short, it anything, considering the results to DO obtained." _«__