TEH DEFENCE FORCES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2895, 8 September 1909, Page 13

TEH DEFENCE FORCES.

«•: — J Bi Skstbt.

The- Gazette of August 26 intimates the,, appointment of A. T. Murray and- R. R. Wardle to be lieutenanie- Ist Railway Pioneers. The' proposed ball in connection with Ist Rattahon, 0.R.V., has been abandoned^ lor this year. „ Major Barclay, whose services to Volunteering :n Duaedin when officer commanding the Dunedin .Engineers are\not easily forgotten, has concluded his short visit to Dunedin. He is now stationed at Frankton ' Junction. In the course of a conversation, upon Volunteering, he informed ma that things are much the same in the north as they are in Dunedin. In the case of a good many of the northern corps there seems to be a. difficulty in the- matter of obtaining recfuits. The feeling in favour of the adoption of compulsory training ie very 6trong in the north. - The National Defence League, he pointed out, has a strong hoH in the rorth. It had its origin in Hamilton, the pionees being Colonel Bell. In the Waikato district fhey have a fine regiment of mounted men rifles. The health and spirit of this regiment was evidenced by the fact that during the couiee of a week's training recently the live squadrons mustered 280 strong. During the course of his \isit Major Barclay rc> newed relations with his old command on the occasion of the presentation of prizes, and in the course of his speech had some 'wowfe of commendation and encouragement for the Engineer Cadets, whom he originally called into being. He also OcMres&ad the local branch dl.the St. John Ambulance Association.' The question of recognising members of the St. John Ambulance Brigade as a- retwrve for the regular army medical service of the Dominion Defence Forces has been under consideration for .some time. . Major Bardty informs me that the St. John authorities have been in communication with the Defence Council about the matter, and there is a likelihood of the proposal being put into «pefra*ion. There ai» but five Bearer Corps in the Dominion, and :t: t is recognised that, ho.vever efficient these corps may be, they would be quite insufficient in connection with operations involving a large body of men and heavy casualiticß. The St. John Ambulance Brigade has a membership of -1300. out of which it would be easy to find a large proportion willing to enrol as a reserve. They would require to undergo some extra training in sanitation, ' &lc, and examination by one of the De^ ' fence Force's medical staff would be necessary before a man was enrolled. The pro- i posal is an exceptionally valuable one, and the offer should b& availed of by the Defence Council. » Latest Home files tell of a somewhat similar movement in connection with the Imperial army. Says the United Services Gazette :—" The Aimy Council are believed I to be at present seriously considering the ! inclusion of the various voluntary aid or- ' ganiaations in the scheme of national defence. These organisations are the St. ! John Ambulance Association, the St. s Andrew Ambulance Association, and the local branches of the Red Cross Society. There can be little doubt that thero in a* strong necessity for more help, as the scheme which ie being prepared by the medical authorities at the War Office for the carof of the sick and wounded in war 16 still incomplete in some of its Vletails. • • The three organisations specified have the power and the desire to supply these national wants; the obstacles' in the way are but eliffht. and therefore- the completioh of an effective voluntary aid organisation' should shortly fee accomplished." , It is desired that very complete arrange-ir-ents for Dominion Day church parades should b& made in connection with all units of the Defence Forces. Parades are to be local, no train expenses- to be allowed.' It as left to the option of the O.C. District to liold a large op>sn-air service or to arrange for services in the various ehuivehes. The latter plan has been adopted. The impressiveness of an open-air service is impaired by the fact that only a portion of €hs troops can hear the service, whilst the siajht-seeing public k not always conspicuous for reverence. Arrangements as to th<? churches they will attend are left in the heads of officers commanding battalions, etc. Th^ Mambers and ex-members of the City Guancis intend holding a smoke concert on the ewxMMf Monday in October, when a presentation will be made to ex-Lieutenant Jack on his retirement from the company after 30 jears' service. ! As to what is tfee correct procedure in ' the varying circumstances in which he hears the National Anthem, the Volunteer is often at a loss, and if be fails to do the right thing: it is because of ignorance rather than a want of respect. Often when Volunteers are parading in a hall for the pcesen. tation of prizes the National Anthem is Played, and the officers on the stage salute. SThe impulse of the Volunteer in the ranks is to do the same. All that is required of the Volunteer in such circamstancee is that he should stand at attention. In the ranks be never salutes when the National Anthem is played. It is different, however, when fee attends any function merely as' a separate unit— at an' entertainment at which Volunteers are permitted to attend . ; n uniform, for example. The procedure then •hould the National Anthem be f layxl is for the Volunteer to stand at the ealute until it is finished.

[ I have been inquiring into bhe position ' with regard' to' the Nortfb Dunedin | Drill HaD, and how it is affected by the company's determination to disband. The hall, it seems, i» entirely private property, having been purchased originally for the company. The land upon which it stands is portion of the Town Belt, permission to erect the building there having* been granted by the old Provincial Council about 1863, the understanding evidently being that the hall was to be primarily for military purposes. Under these circumstances it would appear that the company must either have tho building removed or obtain permission from the City Council to leave it there for use for other purposes. _ I fancy it will be sold for removal. The building is very old, and has been altered and improved to such an extent that it is probable that very few planks of the original structure remain. Save for occasional dances, the' hall has been used almost exclusively by the North Dunedin. Rifles. Speaking at the initial parade of the local Officers' Training Corps, Lieutenantcolonel , Smyth, O.C. District, gave to the embryonic officers some sound advice with regard to their calling. Referring to the ligoroua routine of drill through which they had to go, and which they might be disposed to regard as more or less drudgery, he said there were good reasons for it. One reason was to teach them to surrender their wills unconsciously to one man-. The soldier voluntarily surrendered his will to the officer under whose command he was That was discipline. He reminded them of the truism that no,man could command until he had first learned to obey. He might not inappropriately have quoted General Sir John French's ideal of an army officer. - Addressing the students of an English <-ollege recently, the general said he wanted those who were about to leave colle<j: : to realise that the officer — i his character, his attainments, his efficiency, his capability — was the corner stone of all military efficiency. That had been so throughout the annals of military history. But it was infinitely rrore so to-day, when the relative vaiae of the officer to the rank and file had increased enormously # The following is quoted exactly as it appears in an English military periodical: " With reference to the recent declaration of Sir John Ward, the Premier of New j Zealand, that the Dominion had more men ' under arms, not counting Cadets or rifle rlubs, in proportion to the population , capable of bearing arms, than 'any other ] portion of the En-pire. including the Jnited Kingdom itself, it appears that the Defence Forces of .New Zealand last year numbered 20,428 men, the parcentage being 10.2. Perhaps thfie is something in the climate of the region which promotes this fine fighting spirit, for the Maoris are remembered with respect as mighty warriors, and it is one of the many bright features > in the history of New Zealand that, con- j trary to the usual treatment of Native races, much of th«« Mpori blood is found in its population to-day.*'