TEACHING THE TERRITORIALS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 239, 15 February 1911, Page 2

TEACHING THE TERRITORIALS

COLONEL HUGHES' IDEA. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wanganui, Monday. The local territorials broke camp on Sunday morning, after having put in a solid week's training. On Saturday night a novel instructional idea was put into execution, which had considerable value in impressing on the men the force of the disciplinary portion of the new defence scheme. 1 his look the form of a "faked" court-martial, though none but the officer commanding, and one or two others, ';" GW that the affair was a bogus one. All that was known was that a private bad been arrested, and was to be tried tor alleged insubordination. A duly constituted court was appointed with legal advocates, and the whole battalion were interested spectators of the proceedings. The case being proved' accused'' was sentenced to five days' imprisonment.

Lieutenant-Colonel Hughes then addressed the men, saying he had power to make such a reduction of the sentence as he thought fit. After commenting very favorably on the way all hands behaved while in camp, he went on to say that ho had realised during the week'that the men were not conversant with the new military law, and did not know the pains and penalties attaching to breaches ' then i,! »l «» i'lea. Discovering „t ier e was a good actor in the camp, he had arranged with the actor o ™. or tn '° officers that the present pi oeeediiigs should he carried out iu ordi to impress on the men the position t t} now occupied in military buy a s H'zen soldiers. That being 'so. ".sen. icnee, of course, would not take effect f'-ct thatitwaslHireai: ■J • nn , l t" 1 ' ""ink faces of all present when the actual fact dawned on nl" presented an amusing study. Consternation, however, .soon rave way to -11111,'' ( ' riWS ™ i)' rt Th r Wa - V he had acted his f art. Jhe lesson evidently made 11 „rcit impression 0,1 the men. ;U ul , ;?Jf foiml idea could hanlly Z proved upon. * Lon ,ra "