TERRITORIAL ARMY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 98, 16 October 1911, Page 4

TERRITORIAL ARMY.

GENERAL CODLEY INTERVIEWED. PLANS FOR POPULARISING THE SCHEME. Auckland, October l;). Certain phases of the position with regard to the establishment of New Zealand's territorial army were explained by Major-General Godley to-day, special reference being made to the question of the 33 per cent, reduction of the enrolment. He explained that there was no idea of in any way modifying the universal nature of the training. In the senior cadet stages, between the ages of fourteen and eighteen, it will be absolutely universal, only those (probably about o per cent.) to whom the training might do physical harm not being taken. "Kut." lie added, "when we come to the territorial army the conditions arc somewhat different. The territorial army is for the defence of the country; and, as was stated by Lord Kitchener and also by Sir Joseph Ward last year in Parliament, only those who are thoroughly and absolutely fit can be taken--men who can carry their pack of 50lb tor (iOlb and march twenty miles a day, and the average of this elimination in this country will probably work out, as was stated hi Parliament last year, at about 33 per cent. It may be more in some ! eases, and less in others. It is not a question of numbers, as in the Auckland district. WEEDS NOT WANTED. 'ISo far from having too many men, we shall in many parts have too few; but the territorial army cannot he looked upon as a school of physical training, and only those absolutely fit, as I have said, can therefore be taken. It is in the senior cadet stages that this physical training will be given absolutely universally. At present we have quite enough to do to get the territorial force started with the thoroughly fit, but as soon as it has a fair start the Government then intend to consider the question of training the balance, either in the general training section, or perhaps by raising second battalions, etc. Our ! hands are now full without considering this at once, and it will have to wait for consideration until next year. The position, put shortly, is that from fourteen to eighteen you have a school of physical training; but from eighteen the <uiny is for the defence of the country; in it you can therefore only have the physically fit, and must eliminate those I win. are not.

T-; 33 per cent, a high average? ''No. It is really a low percentage, due to the good physique of the youth'of the Lominion. In Continental armies it is much higher, and at Home it works out si about 00 per cent." There was some discussion in the House about non-prosecution in cases where there is failure to register under, the Act. Arc we to understand that there will be absolutely no prosecutions? NO DESIRE TO PROSECUTE. "The situation in regard to registration is that the policy of the Governr.ieur is not to prosecute. They do not iVish to prosecute if it can be possibly a\oided, and they hope that the scheme will go on without any necessity to prosecute; but the law must,' of course, lie upheld, and if necessary legal proceedings will have to be taken. Tho Government wish to give every man a chance of fulfilling his duties as a citizen without submitting him to the indignity of court proceedings. It must be remembered that, quite apart from the question of prosecution, anybody who does not register thereby forfeitf his rights as a citizen, and in the future will not be entitled to vote. I do not think that it is generally realised that a man will automatically lose his rights as a citizen if he neglects to fulfil his obligation for military service; and, speaking personally, I should think that this in itself would be a sufficient deprivation without anv fear of a prosecution.' THE RESERVE AGE. When asked whether there was anything in the rumor that it was not proposed to continue the training up to the age of twenty-five General Godley said, "The law says that a man must he trained up to the age of twenty-five, and there is no intention of altering the law; but subject to the upkeep of establishment the regulations contemplate that after four years' service, which is the minimum time in which the military authorities consider a man can be made efficient, a man may, if he has made himself efficient during that time, be then able to go to the reserve. The efl'ect of this would be that a man would bo then able to go to the reserve at the age of twenty-two instead of twentyfive, thereby shortening the training by three years. The age must be retained legally at twenty-five, in case it should be necessary to keep men up to that age. —as, for instance, in case the population suddenly decreased, or there occurred an outbreak of an epidemic, The. population is fortunately increasing, and there is, T hope, no fear of an epidemic, so the effect -will practically be that those who wish to go to the reserve will he able to do so after four years' efficient service."