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MILITARY TRAINING

TERRITORIALS AND CADETS

THEIR IMPORTANCE TO THE

DOMINION

At the Officers' Club, Buckle Street, last evening,- the Director of Military Tiiiining (Lieutenant-Colonel J. L. Slccnian. 1.G.5.) delivered a lecture in appreciation of iho Territorial and Cadet Forces. He congratulated the officers who had, in spite of great difficulties and shortage of equipment, done so much ti) earn- forward the training of these forces d'urinc abnormal times. Not only had their efforts done much to help those who had proceeded on active service, but in addition had maintained the training of those destined to become the future defenders of the Dominion. Thei-o still existed a number of, people who professed a belief that the training of thr. Cadet and Territorial Forces was unnecessary during war. At a time when all other countries wero calling up [thciv manhood at 17 and 18 years of age, and in a country where such excellent conditions prevailed that non-essential industries and race meetings were sliil continued, it could not be thought that the training of the Dominion's youth should be discontinued. Both by senior officers at the front and in New Zealand the uninterrupted training of the Territorial and Cadet Forces' was considered vital to the future safety of the Dominion.

It would be satisfactory to those present to know that practically the whole original strength of the Territorial Forces, 30,000, had gone to the front, and thai since the war, some 23,000 Cadets had entered the Territorial Forces possessing a considerable degree of both efficiency and discipline. In other words, over ".10,000. Territorials and Cadets iiad received or were receiving most valuable training owing to the efforts of tho officers eince the commencement of the war. Annually, about 8000 Territorials passed into the Expeditionary Force possessing a degree of efficiency whickpermitted the reinforcement drafts to gain the necessary standard of advanced efficiency within a short space of time The Territorial Forces formed the majority of the Main.Body, and had since supplied the Expeditionary Force with- the majority of its officers and non-commissioned officers. The basis of the training scheme was to supply an elementary standard of recruit training, followed by more advanced training in the Territorial Forces. This had proved highly advantageous for war purposes, and few realised or appreciated the great pv.'t Unit this training had done towards the splendid name New Zealand had'won on the battlefield. Modern war luid -taught with bitter, grim lessons that physical strength and ccurnge alone were valueless when opposed to discipline and military knowledge. Had the training been suspended in 1014, 50,000 men and boys would now b.; minus both discipline and efficiency, a loss which it would have been enormously difficult and costly (o replace. Experience had shown that certain weaknesses existed in the present system of training. These would be improved when normal conditions were restored. He assured tho officers present that their work had been n{ value, was of value, and would be of great value in the ultimate future. Abnormal circumstances had created difficulties which they had su.rmounted to the best of thair ability. If hn were asked In choose between 1000 untrained civilians and a similar nuni'ber of Territorials he would choose the latter mid would guarantee toi have them fit for war in every respect Jn three months, ami .he would not guarantee to have the civilians trained inside of eight months. It was the officers, non-commissioned officers and men and specialists who formed the stiffening for the Expeditionary Forces. 'J'li« same thin;; wn« noted iii England with .regard to the New Army, it was not until the. retired non-commis-sioned officers jjrere induced to rejoin tho colours and train the men of the New Airmy that there wn.s any -mprovomeni.

The lecturer referred tn the war, and said that he knew it could not end this year, and it .might end next year. The German was beaten, lie was beaten now, but there is a great difference between beinjj. beaten and defeated. His retirement, as stated in the'papers, was earned out in a splendid manner, and tlmt implied a high moral. "We - .rere in the ■fifth year of the war, and we miisi continue to do our best. .After the war there would be no difficulty in obtaining weapons, ammunition, and office. , ?, but Iheir difficulties were now, when I lie- had to do tliek , 'best. He referred to' some of the difficulties, and said that he could promise them that when the war was over ami they could t»et Ilia material they required they would have every opportunity of training their unili to tho highest point of effici'encv. He stated that fliey would be given opportunities for brigade and divisional work. He-re-ferred to his experience witn the Officers' Training Corps, and said he. was con. scious of their .difficulties. He knew tho difficulties of the Territorial officers in the Dominion, and he would do his best to help them. He referred to the importance of physical drill, and stated lhat his regiment held the record with other regiments of doing their'3o-mile inarch in the day with a full pack, and not a man falling. <3iit. TIo insisted that physical training was_ imperative, and this was going to be a very serious problem for him to solve. The Defence Department <oukl not expect any good result with only 20 minutes' physical drill ouco a week sandwiched in Between other drills. lit* suirsested that, instead of doing this 20 minutes' physical (kill onco a week, and sometimes at longer intervals, there should be one evening set apart for volunteers, more particularly non-cotnniis-sioned officers likely to become instructors. Ho was in a position to secure tho services of an expert instructor from Trcnthnm Camp to instruct them. If they could start a voluntary evening ho believed they would get a satisfactory at(endance. He was of that opinion after seeing tho .effect of the training nt the Wellington College, and also at Wangaiiui College. Colonel Campbell said lhat. Colonel Sleeinan's proposal was not a new one, (ind it was one that they could carry out provided they induced a spirit of competition, say, for a shield or some such trophy. Ho would go further and snej!<?st that there- should 'be public exhibitions, so that the men's relatives and friends and the general public could, see what was bring done. Se/wnl other officers took nart in the discussion, and at th<' cliis'; Colonel Slceinan was accorded a hearty vote of thanks.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19180807.2.42

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 273, 7 August 1918, Page 6

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,077

MILITARY TRAINING Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 273, 7 August 1918, Page 6

MILITARY TRAINING Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 273, 7 August 1918, Page 6

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