LEGION OF FRONTIERSMEN.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 480, 6 July 1912, Page 3

LEGION OF FRONTIERSMEN.

A general meeting, convened by Mr W. Lorigan, was held in Hattaway's sample rooms on Tuesday evening, when a fair number of gentlemen were present.

Mr Lorigan, in introducing Colonel All«n Bell, pointed out that in the formation of such a body of Frontiersmen, very few districts in New Zealand afforded better material than the King Country. In his opening remarks Colonel Bell expressed the pleasure that it gave him to again visit Te Kuiti and speak on the great question of national defence. Some years ago he had visited them during his campaign for the introduction of universal military training, and he thanked them for the splendid moral support accorded him on that occasion. New Zealand had now the finest defence system in the Empire, and he felt sure that it was going to he a great success, although many reforms had yet to be introduced before they got away from the old hide-bound and useless army methods and worked on lines suitable to the requirements of a itizen army. When this was done a large portion of the money now being waßted would be saved, and the expenditure brought within reasonable bounds. Two grave mistakes had been made in initiating the system. The first was the importation of a small army of highly paid Imperial officers. The huge expenditure involved in this way was quite unnecessary. All that was required was the Commandant and a small staff as they had already in New Zealand many k»en, intelligent and adaptable officers, and also men in the ranks who with a little training could be made more efficient and suitable to the requirements of a democratic country than those imported. Another great mistake had been made in the intrcuction of the system of pergonal payment which had already done much to undermine the spirit that should actuate the citizen soldier. Until ti.e time arrived when the majority of the people of our Empire were so imbued with love of country as to make themselves efficient defenders of that country we could not call ourselves a great nation. However, these and other great mistakes had been made, and they had to be rectified, and in getting them rectified they had to exercise patience. In any case he could tell them that the scheme on the whole was thotoughly sound, and could be carried out for an expenditure well within the means of the country. The only real objection lodged against the scheme had been made by the workers, who feared that the citizens army would be used to oppress the masses in times of industrial disturbance. Some time ago he (the speaker) had written to the Prime Minister in New Zealand and the Prime Minister in Australia advocating an amendment in the Act providing that the Territorials should not be called out to deal with strikes. The Prime Minister in Australia had already taken the matter in hand, and the proposal bad been affirmed at the Premiers' Conference lately held in Tasmania. However, he wished the workers to understand that a paid army could and had been used for purposes of oppression, but in a country where every man was a soldier that power was absolutely taken out of the hands of Governments who would never take the risk of calling them out in times of industrial upheaval. Therefore, the greatest safeguard that the masses could have in their justifiable efforts to improve their condition would be the aceptance of the democratic principle of a citizen army. He felt sure that if they gave the system a trial and saw the splendid results they would never go back on it, and in the years to come they would look back with pride on the day when they assisted to introduce- universal military training to this country, and set an example to our kinsmen across the seas. Unfortunately, owing to financial and political reasons the new scheme only provided for the enrolment of those under twenty-one years of age. Hence the necessity for the formation of the Legion of Frontiersmen, a movement that wan destined to revolutionise military life in this country. In the ranks of the Frontiersmen would be found men who had either seen active service, had a military training, or who had a training in their everyday lives, that fitted them for the work of soldiering and what was of more importance every man would be a patriot and would prepare himself and place himself at the service of the Empire without any financial assistance from the Government. Besides those who had eeen active service in variuus parts of the world, the Legion would include those who had led a frontier life or worked as marines, police, surveyors,; explorers, prospectors, cowboys, telegraphists, 'stock and transport riders, scouts, "interpreters, bUßhmen. miners, road, railway and bridge builders, and the hundred and one other callings that gave a man a training in many ways suitable for the work of a soldier. The Frontiersman was nothing new. In the great empire-building campaiens of the past he had been one of the most important factors in their success. During the Maori war we had the Frontiersmen who was then designated Forest Rangers, and who under the gallant Von Tempsky of undying memory did such splendid work in the Taranaki and Auckland districts. When the Impeiral troops were carrying out barrack square movements or lumbering along tied to the wheels of the commissariat waggons, the Frontiersman took to the bush carrying this rough tucker with him, and beat the Maori at his own game. In the unfortunate war in which England lost her American colonies, the reason that the, Yankees defeated the British was not because they were more numerous, not because they were more brave, but 'because every man was a Frontiersman, who could live on rough fare, could find bis way through the bush by day or night and turn up where the old Kentucky rifle {spoke the British chalked up a casualty. The reason that the Boers put up such a splendid fight in the late unjustifiable war. was

that every man was a Frontiersman with the methods, tools and weapons of frontier warfare. The training obtained by the Frontiersmen in their everyday lives eminently fitted them to act as the intelligence arm of the army in the field. They must understand that the functions of guideß, scouts, pioneers, and despatch riders did not displace the functions of the main body of the army which was to strike bard in large numbers. The .special function of the Frontiersman in most cases would be to clear the way to allow the blow to be struck so that it 'would tell. As he had stated in former addresses, the uniform of the Frontiersmen would be suited to the serious work of the soldier. Gold braid, cocks' feathers, the tight fitting, high necked tunic would be unknown quantities, riding pants and leggings, Garibaldi shirt and boss of the plains hat, the useful and practical garb, so popular in most of the frontier campaigns of the past, would be the garb of the Legion. In New Zealand they had thousands of men who bad the qualifications which he had outlined, but they were , lying loose, unorganised, and unknown under the banner of the Legion of Frontiersmen. These men would be organised. On the first sign of trouble the Legion signal fires would call the Frontiersmen together from the bush in New Zealand, the wneat fields of Canada, the Bheep lands of Australia, and the lonely veldt in South Africa. From the bush camps, the farms and the mines would emerge a body of hardy, trained and organised men who would be as invaluable to the Empire in its time of peril, as they had proved themselves in the Empire building campaigns in the past. They would be an inspiration and an example to the youngiNew Zealander entering the Territorial forces, and a standing rebuke to the "social «rror," who said that he had no country to fight for. Concluding, Colonel Bell urged his hearers to do everything in their power to make the new Territorial scheme a success and an example to all parts of the Empire. The day might not be far distant when the summoning bugle enrolled us in martial array. Before that time came he hoped we would all realise that the patriotism which impelled us to sing Rule Britannia and God Save the King, the talking patriotism which could not fight, the fighting patriotism which had not got a gun was of no more use to us than a headache, and that the only patriotism that was of any value was that which prompted every man to prepare himself for the defence of bis country. The Frontiersmen would make an ideal backbone for the citizen army wh'ch was being brought into being in New Zealand, and when we next stand Bhoulder to shoulder with Tommy Atkins let us hope that he would again be able to say to the Frontiersmen— You 'ad no special call to come, And so you doubled out, And learned us 'ow to camp and cook,

And steal a horse and scout. Whatever game we fancied most You joyful played it too, And rather better on the whole Good-bye! Good luck to you! The following were appointed a committee:—Messrs E. H. Hardy (Mayor), Major Lusk, Mostyn Jones, Quinlan, Sellars, Dr Fullerton, Walsh, J. C. Rolleston, Percy, C. Taylor, Dr McRae, Alexander, Lorigan, Cochrane, with L. E. Brathwaite as secretary.

A very hearty vote of thanks was accorded to Colonel Allen Bell for his visit and address, also to the chair.