THE WAR AND AFTER

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 10282, 17 May 1919, Page 8

THE WAR AND AFTER

DEFENCE PROBLEMS ADDRESS BY GENERAL RICHARDSON AT OFFICERS’ INSTITUTE. Tho annual meeting of the Wellington Officers’ Institute was held in the lecture, room at tho Garrison Hall last night. Colonel G. F. C. Campbell presidimaover a largo attendance. Among those present were Major-General Sir A. W. Robin (Commandant), and BrigadierGeneral Richardson. The annual report, read by Major Dunne, secretary, showed that a good years work had been accomplished, a number of interesting lectures on military matters- having been Riven undu the auspices of the institute. Ihe co mftteo regretted the death of a number of members of the institute 'dunnK tho influenza epidemic—Lieut.-Col. Bolme s . Lieiit.-Col. Waters, Major McGilp D. 5.0., Cup tain Bishop, and Lieut, Massey. X’Ko balance-sheet showed that tho total receipts from subscriptions wore i 25 13a 6d, and that the expenditure ter the year had amounted to .219 105 9cl» leaving a balance in-hand of £5 15s Set. The report and balance-sheet were adopted nem. con. on the motion of the chairman.

Officers for the ensuing year wore appointed as’under:—Don. secretary, Major Dunne; hon. treasurer, Lieut. TV. H. ■lonos; committee. Captains Wylie, Lryor, Keenan, and Petersen, and Lieut. Miles. CENTRAL CLUB WANTED.

A discussion took place as to the need for securing suitable central premises for an officers’ club, so as to develop the social side of the institute; and on the motion of Major Wallingford, seconded by Captain Pryor, the committee was instructed to bring down a report at an early date as to the form that the future activities of the institute should take. Suggestions on the subject, to be in the hands of the .secretary not later than May 30th, were invited from members. GENERAL RICHARDSON WEL- • COMED. General Richardson met with a vefy hearty reception. Colonel Campbell, in bidding him "welcome on behalf of tho institute, said that they recognised not only the good services rendered by General Richardson during his absence from New Zealand but also.the splendid work he had done here before he left the Dominion. as one of the mime movers in the defence scheme. They knew of the good service he had rendered to the Stale in Belgium and GaUipoli, and subsequently in an administrative capacity in London. (Applause.) Some of them were rather sorry that General Richardson was taken from the field and given administrative work. Not that they undervalued the administrative work, but they would have liked him to have been left in the field when there was more scope for his military knowledge, of Which they had had experience in New Zealand. (Applause.) They did not know what was to happen to them now, what system of defence might be adopted. They might even all bo discharged. But, whatever system was to he introduced, they must as officers, do their best to assist in making it a success, as they had done in the past. (Applause.) He asked them to give General Richardson and his family a hearty welcome on their return to New Zealand, and to. accord the general a hearty vote of thanks for his services to New Zealand and to the Empire as a .whole. (Loud applause.) NEW ZEALAND MILES AHEAD. ,'

General Richardson thanked the officers for their warm reception, and said that it gave him very p-real pleasure to be in •that old hall again and to see so many familiar faces. (Applause.) Since he had returned he had had many bouquets throwu at him, and the effect of it all was that he had never felt so humble in his life as at the present time. However, the too kind things that had been said inspired one to do one’s best for King and country. Speaking of the introduction of the compulsory system of military training, he stated that that system Lad never had a greater friend or one who had worked harder to make it a success, though he had kept somewhat in the background, than Major-General Sir Alfred Robin. (Applause.) He W greatly sympathised with Sir Alfred Robin for having to stay behind here in Now Zealand trying to keep things going right, and compassed on all hands by politicians’ and such like. (Laughter and applause.) While at the Staff College at Home, bis special interest had been watching the training not only of. the regular Army but of . the territorial forces. He had taken every . opportunity oi seeing _ the work of the territorial. forces, especially the infantry and artillery. And he <>ould tell them, as one who knew both sides of the question, that the territorial infantry and artillery in this country were miles ahead of what he saw in England in the years 1913 and 1913. (Applause.) At Ihe Staff College they often discussed ifce relative" value of the territorial forces u-tl the regular forces to which they would be opposed in any future war, and from the experience of the Franco-German war they deduced that the territorial officer -would not be of equal value to the legular officers till after a considerable lapse of time had given him the necessary experience. They had looked forward, therefore, with considerable anxiety to what would happen in case of war.

VALUE OP COMPULSORY TRAINING. Lord Roberts, he knew from his < onveraations with him, looked forward to it with foreboding. At that time Lord Roberts was speaking night after night in England in favour of the introduction of a system of compulsory military training similar to that obtaining in New Zealand, and ho (General Richardson) thought that it would be adopted; but Lord Roberts told him that he had no conception of the feeling in England against anything Jike compulsory training, and that ho had no hope of it being adopted in his time. Had Lord Roberts's proposals been carried out, had they bpd a sound system of defence at Home, did they think that the Germans would have r-0t on to the Belgian Coast as they did i x)id they, in fact,-think that there would have been anv war? Ho thought there would not, and that was the pathetic part of it. From that point of view, it was a good thing that the war had taken place, and that Germany hail been put m her right place. IVhilo ho was at the Staff "College, the general opinion amongst the highest authorities who knew Geir many's intentions was that war would break out at the earliest in the autumn lof ;1911, and at the latest in the spring of 1915. The decisive factor, they felt, was the opening of the Kiel Canal to enable heavy battleships to pasS to and fro. GERMANY'S NAVAL PLAN.

Tho feeling was that Germany would not send her licet out. but. by means ox mines and submarines, would attempt to polish oil our fleet. They hoped to fire! one big battleship a week, so that, if tho war was nrotracted, after twelve months they would have a margin of superiority, which would enable them to come out with some prospect of success. It was thought that when they came out the probability would be that they would go down south, cut our communications with tha Channel, and take the opportunity of landing on tho East Coast. Fcr the German military authorities realised that a decision could only bo brought about by a landing in tho Old Country to brine us to our knees. The territorial force was primarily intended to defend Britain against such a landing It was realised that the (German

railways me! system of mobilisation was so superior to those of Franco that they would get right on,to the frontier ana be able to roll hn-ik the defence forces oi France and of Britain, if the Britisn forces were there, and. that . Germany would thus get a considerable initial advantage. It uas realised that our troops might have to tell back even beyond Paris, But that would not end tho war, because the overseas troops, and the Indian fo ,- ccs. and Russia would then bo brought tote play, and we would have overwhelming forces to drive Germany back. That was the idea. It was not exactly carried out; but it nas not very far wrong.

THE KXTC-IiKNER AHAXT.

At first four divisions were sent over t<v France and later two, and tfien Lord Kitchener proceeded to form the now Kitchener Army. If he had not done so, v;o should have boon in a very had way indeed, "Wo-had organised a*tan for one cavalrv division and six territorial divisions. Success could not no achieved without a thoroughly \noUt.rained staff, for the* staff was the brains of thy array. So they had immediately to set to work to train a staff lor these increased forces. TJicv had thought it absurd enough that they should have to deal with a cavalry division and six territorial divisions. They did noc dream that the British Army expand, as it ultimately did, to -23 army corps. Elxcept for tho first tew divisions tho whole of the great army was a citizen force and the whole of the officers were citizen officers, territorial officers—an eye-opener to the world. liow it was all done was. too long a story to tell them that niaht; but tho Jact remained that tho whole of the New Zea--land Expeditionary Force was a citizen, a territorial army, and that the whole of the 23 army corps at the end of the war were citizens, territorials, trained, on intensified courses and an intensified system of training in order to roach a nigh standard of efficiency as quickly as possible. At first any young- fellow who could get a recommendation was put m as a cadet and trained as an officer.. NEW ZEALAND LED TUB WAY.

But that did not prove satisfactory; and, finally, they got down to tho system New Zealand had followed throughout, putting in training as officers the best men from tho ranks. (Applause.) This system had turned out very successfully. ' with the result that he thought that the New Zealand Expeditionary Force had had officers as efficient as any officers Britain had had in any theatre of v ar. (Applause.) Wherever our cadets were sent he had always received the most excellent reports as to their efficiency. They nearly always came out pretty well on top. (Applause.) That was to be expected. because they were men who before joining the Expeditionary Force had gone through the compulsory system of training here, had then been trained for the Expeditionary force, then they served in tho field, and were chosen for their qualities of leadership: and when they got tu the cadet school that all told. (Applause.) The system proved highly satisfactory, and they should remember tl at for the future. The system should be followed up; and if they could have cadet companies to which young noni-commis-sioned officers specially recommended for efficiency could be attached, ho thought it would be a very good system indeed — merely an adaptation of the system that had been in force in England during 'he war. THE PUTUBE. As to tho future, all that he had to Sav wn« that it was their duty as officers to see that a system of training must bo maintained. We could not afford to do without defence. All sorts of wild ideas had got about—-that there was going to be no compulsory training after the war; that armies would not bo need-* ed; and that tho Peace Conference would fix once for all tho smallest limitation of forces, which would not as police. But thinkers who could visualise the future, would never consent to the abolition of military forces purely for defence. And, apart from the necessities of tho case, we should look to the great value of the training in' the building up of _ our youth. In England ho was of opinion that about GO per cent, of tho men who presented themselves for enlistment to serve in the field were categorised as ■’C3”; and that was why they saw so much in tho papers about England being a “03 nation." Good physique led to efficiency in every walk oh life; and if we used the compulsory system of training for nothing else but to develop the physique of the nation it would, be a very great thing lor the country. (Applause.) PINE PHYSIQUE OP OUB TBOOPS. He did not know the number of rejects here; but he held that our system of training was largely responsible for our being able to send such fine bodies of men to the front. It was a matter of surprise at Horae that draft after draft showed no diminution in physique, while in Britain the physical defects obvious in the men who had to he forced into the ranks to fill up the gaps were very marked. He did not know what our higher physique was due to. but ho thought that the credit largely belonged to our system of compulsory training; and he held that it should he maintained. (Applause.) He sympathised with those officers who had not been able to get to the front, but it was the fortune of war. The work done back here was as important as the work done in England and on other lines of communication. Tho hands of the clock went forward, and the little boy saw that and thought that it was the whole of it. But tho thinker know th.it ii was the works at the back that did it all; and to tho work done in New Zealand was largely duo tho credit for tho high standard of efficiency maintained. ’(Applause.) The opinion of ail tho authorities was not only that the physique and efficiency of our forces were higher, but that their discipline and conduct in the field had not been excelled by anybody. (Applause.) lie had found that two big stunts were required from the New Zealand forces each year, and for each they needed twenty officers per battalion ; n reserve to fill up the gaps and to make good tho wastage through sickness. Hot showed the great importance of having a big reserve of officers, and the necessity for training officers. (Applause.)

Ho thanked them for the invitation to he present at their annual meeting, and for their kind reception. (Loud applause.)