THE TERRITORIALS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXI, Issue 90, 18 April 1911, Page 6

THE TERRITORIALS.

INTERVIEW WITH THE COMMAND, ANT. When interviewed by a Lyttelfcon, Times reporter, Major-General "Godley had jnst come through the Nelson, Marlborough, and Westland districts, and lie expressed satisfaction with his visit from a, military point of view. He was im-i pressed with the spirit which exists in .that part of the Dominion. Ho found many persons willing, and even anxious, to help him, leading citizens coming forward and offering assistance. During his visit to Beefton, for instance, the sum of £400 was subscribed in one night towards the cost of erecting a drill hall inthe town, -and the money was paid into the bank. The managers of coal mines} and gold mines were - specially sympathetic _ and helpful. The same feeling was displayed by the men employed in the mines, Tho material for the Territorial Army in that part of the Dominion is described by the General as being distinctly good, and he is convinced that the West Coast minos offer good possibilities in regard \to efficient and generally excellent soldiers,. He findß that a« employers of all kinds of labour are recognising that every effort will bo made to study their convenience, difficulties ■ are not likely to be placed in the way of employees being registered in the ranks'. The wishes of the authorities to meet both employers and employees in this respect will be made quite clear in the new regulations, which, it is hoped, will be issued during the next two mouths; In the meantime, he is greatly pleased with the cheerful and ready response that is being made to the call for registration. In the course of his conversation with' the interviewer, he said that the people here hardly realised what the new scheme would mean to the young men of the country and to the country itself. New, Zealand was establishing its army. .It was the only army in New Zealand, and the Territorials here would occupy a position which they did not occupy in. the Old Country, where there were a Regular Army and a Special Reserve in fronti of the Territorials. Tho status of the new Territorial citizen officer of NewZealand would Be exactly the same as the status of a Regular officer. I'he permanent staff and other officers who had come out from Home were really "-lerely helpers of the Citizen Army. New Zealand was the pioneer of the British Empire in regard to complete compulsory training. It was not compulsory at all in the Old Country, and Australia had begun only with the cadets. The full scheme New Zealand uad adopted, therefore, had a .special interest from both a military and a civil point of view, and ib was a pleasure to him to be associated with such a notable movement.