THE SECOND DIVISION.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 4 September 1917, Page 5

THE SECOND DIVISION.

THE BOY OFFICER QUESTION. GOVERNMENT MEETS THE SITUATION. WELLINGTON, Sept. 3. The Central Executive of the Federated, Second Division Leagues! ■ fre,ently made representations to the Minister of Defence pointing out the undesirableness of officering drafts iof married men with youths and a reply has been received from Sir James Allen as follows: ‘ T am in receipt of your letter of sth August, conveying copies of resolutions (2) pass-ed by the National Second Division Leagues at a meeting held on the 23rd inst., respecting the officering» of Second Division drafts. In reply, 1 have to inform you that in respect to the first resolution the officers will consist. be a proportion of Territorial officers who are themselves in the Second Division and of mature age experience, As is the regulation at the present time, no officers of the Territorial Force Avho have had less than 12 month’s services and are under 23 years of age, will be appointed as officers for the Second Division drafts.

Respecting the second resolution, in Jun-e last the General Officer Commanding the New Zealand Expedition ary Force was given authority to return from the front 20 officers per month who have been tried actually in the firing line, to assist in training reinforcements drafts in New Zealand, and to command units proceeding on active s-ervice. These officers are now becoming available regularly, and as the establishment of infantry officers per reinforcement draft is 31. ther-e would appear to be no necessity to establish a special officer training class at once for th-e training of Second Division officers. In addition to the 20 returned officers per month, a certain number of commissions are granted to non-commissioncd officers and m-on, on approval of the General Officer Commamhftg the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, which number will be further augmented by the appointment to commissions of non-commissioned officers of the Second Division prior to departure from New Zealand.