DEFENCE FORGE.

Hokitika Guardian, 28 December 1918, Page 3

DEFENCE FORG E .

BIG CHANGES FORESHADOWED. WELLINGTON December 23. Big changes in the Defence Department are coming in the near future. There have been rumours of moves among the senior officers and now it is more or less definitely announced that tlie Imperial officers who have been on loan to this country are to be allowed to go Home. Sir James Allen stated to-day that the Imperial officers attached to Headquarters’ staff would have to be allowed to go and the rearrangement of the appointments had been under consideration. There is a probability that the Comjmandant, Major-General. Sir A. W. Robin may soon retire. He has been in indifferent health of late and in any case it has been understood for some time that so soon as a man with war experience should be ready to take tho position, the office of Commandant of the New Zealand Forces would pass into other hands. The general belief is that General Richardson is to ho the new- Commandant. , Following are the Imperial officers who will bo affected bv tlie changes to be made and the release of Imperial officers:—Surgeon-General Henderson, Colonel C. M. Gibbon' (Chief of the General Staff), Colonel C. 11. MacDonald (Director of Infantry Training in the Reinforcement camps), Liout.Oolonel Neave (Infantry Instructor in the Reinforcement Camps), Major H. A. Cooper (General Staff Officer, Otago Military District), Major Sir Robert Walker (General Staff Officer, Auckland Military District). Mayor F. E. Ostler (Director of Supplies and Transport).