The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23, 1911. OUR CITIZEN ARMY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 52, 23 August 1911, Page 4

The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23, 1911. OUR CITIZEN ARMY.

The report of the General Officer Commanding the New Zealand Forces is of unique interest, because it is a document which is in part a record of his own work and of an entirely new system not related to any system that has ] hitherto existed in this country. Although any criticisms that the report contains are tactful and moderate, we may take it for granted that this is the! only military report for many years that has not been "sub-edited" by nonmilitary men, political or otherwise. A former inspector-general who held very strong views (which were infreqteiffly allowed public print) held that a military force should bo an "offence" force rather than a "defence" force, basing his conclusions on the well-known maxim that to "get your blow in first is "half the battle." Major-General Godley is obviously of this opinion, for the basis of his military belief, as far as New Zealand needs are concealed, is that the army must not wait for the enemy to come,.- ashore and pound its forts (or reduce them from warships), but should be a highly mobile force, organised for the express purpose of getting into touch with the enemy as soon as possible. Already in New Zealand there are nuclei of good field artillery corps, and even under the old condition, where pictorial and "paper" effect was aimed at by the authorities ajid the corps were undergunned and under-horsed, the standard of efficiency was tolerable. Indeed, the artillery, both garrison and field, has always hcen the most valuable, and certainly the most efficient branch of the New Zealand service. The G.O.S.'s view is a new departure in regard to artillery work in New Zealand, for, as everyone knows, the only regular troops in New Zealand have been the R.N.Z. Artillery, which existed for the defence of the forts. The instructors for field artillery have been drawn from the garrison artillery, and the field gunners therefore lacked . the help of specialists, whose specialty was field artillery work. The Imperial Army Council has been exceedingly liberal in the loan of officers of high repute, and it is gratifying to read that the G.O.C. believes that when the service of these officers in New Zealand has expired olli- [ cers of the New Zealand Stair Corps will be competent to carry on the work. Many of the New Zealand officers now in the staff corps have attended staff colleges in England, and all who have received appointments have gained them on their merits, and have, as the (1.0.C. remarked, "been retained on their merits." It is gratifying that MajorGeneral Godley does not intend permitting the existence of "officers' training corps," consisting as they did of young men attending university colleges. Under the present democratic system, despite the contentions of "conscientious objectors" to the contrary, the officers of the citizen army will be appointed solely on their merits and not because they belong to a particular class. We have on several occasions insisted that rifle-shooting as practised was a failure. The G.O.C. says it is "behind the times." This may mean that the ability of a small proportion of men in a company to perforate a bull's-eye that cannot run away is not general shooting efficiency. It may mean that the waste, of ammunition by 600 or 700 men at Trentham is of no practical service to New Zealand. The additional efficiency of the field artillery is obviously to be aimed at by the G.0.C., as men of the regular artillery are to be trained as field; gunner* and drivers in order to

be available as instructors to the Territorial artillery batteries. There are, it appears, enough service rifles to arm the complete estimated establishment of 30,000 troops, with plenty to spare, and we are told that the Department is getting busy about big-gun and smallarm ammunition. The registration of youths compelled to go to the colors, if called, is complete. Me have heard a good deal about the hooliganism that has attended registration and inspection in various places, but it has been bo inconsiderable and abortive that it has no serious aspect. Public feeling in regard to defence matters has been splendidly stirred by the systematic, tactful and efficient methods employed by the G.0.C.. and far from injuring the cause of national defence, the bleating! of the "hands-uppers" have strengthened tlie determination of the people to hold on tooth and nail to this country if need be. The small irritations natural to a people who believe that discipline is humiliating will die out as soon as emulation stirs the ranks of the Terri-1 torials. Already the rejection of boys mi account of physical fitness has shown them that qualities they lack are necessary to a soldier. The wholesale medical examinations have been of immense value, as most people will admit who have read of the too large percentage of physically defective youngsters. When training commences next month a very necessary guiding hand will be placed on thousands of youngsters who will resent it because they have never experienced it before. We expect the Territorial training to inculcate among boys regard for others, to teach them that rudeness is offensive, to show them that it is not humiliating to be made to wash, or to shave or to get one's hair cut, and that the only way to learn selfcontrol is to be controlled by others. We earnestly believe that the discipline of the citizen army will create more comfortable relations between classes in New Zealand, and will lead to emulation in many things which would be impossible where largo numbers of men could not be drawn together for one purpose. J