COMMANDANT OF THE FORCES

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 225, 28 January 1911, Page 2

COMMANDANT OF THE FORCES

INTERVIEWED AT DUNEDIN. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Dunedin, Thursday. Major-General Godley, Commandant of the Defence Forces, arrived here to-day, and will remain here till Saturday, when he will leave for Christchureh, where he will inspect the troops and defence arrangements before returning to Wellington on Tuesday. in the course of an interview, the Commandant was asked if there were any place in the new defence scheme for the defence cadets, and he replied that the matter was one which had yet to be fully discussed. In further conversation, Major-General Godley said the hoys, youths, and senior cadets would not clash in any way. They were prepared to take Boy Scout units into the senior cadets, but they must be cadets first and scouts afterwards, and must go through the curriculum provided for the cadets. With reference to the training, the Commandant said the territorial strength had been raised so mucli that when at full strength there would only be a comparatively small surplus over, to be trained in the general training section. The Commandant's attention was drawn to the newspaper paragraph predicting a general post amongst officers commanding districts and others connected with the force, and he fissured the reporter that no such changes were contemplated at present. With regard to the selection of men, when the registration is completed, Major-General Godley said that all up to 21 years would he taken.