COMMANDO SYSTEM

Evening Star, Issue 22458, 1 October 1936, Page 8

COMMANDO SYSTEM

SOUTH AFRICAN DEFENCE The restoration, of the Boer War' commando system as a Jink in the South African Defence Force organisation appears to be imminent, according to information given to the Pretoria representative of the ‘ Hand Daily Mail.’ The Minister of Defence (Mr O. Pirow) is about to embark on a series of conferences with people acquainted with the commando system, and with old Boer War commandants. The lirst of these conferences is to take place in Bloemfontein. It is understood that the present intention is to revive the commando system, and to develop the commando as in the Anglo-Boer days. This means that men will not be expected to do any permanent force training, and that something quite different from the present country regiments, such as the Regiments do Wet, Botha, and Delarey, will be evolved. A conference between Mr Pirow, Brigadier-general Collyer, and General Manie Botha, M.P., was held in Pretoria, and the next step is a series of conferences between Mr Pirow and commandants in various parts of the country. It is expected that for the purpose of the commando system the country will be divided into areas, and that commanding officers will be appointed and not elected. The country districts are very favourable towards the idea, as the commando proved a very efficient military unit in the past, to which the vast majority of people in the rural areas were sentimentally attached. A message from Johannesburg says that the defence organisation in the Western Transvaal is undergoing a change shortly. The mortar gun platoons are being converted into machine gun units. It is felt that the facilities for adequate training in tbo use of the heavier tvpe of gun are not available in the country areas, and that it would be better," therefore, to coniine anti-tank and anti-aircraft platoons to the cities whore such training is available.