FOR THE FRONT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 80, 26 August 1914, Page 4

FOR THE FRONT.

Cl'imN SOLDIERS IN CAMP. ' TIIJi: M EN at iEAOKRSESS To SERVE. • <! li ington ' I>os '-) quite a mtwtial°a» , da - Vs bears i n thTaS IT' Wi -, Uere ia 'B the iwr in iL 1 war tottJes, but ii, the «f 8C aerial nav4 ' that War is V!?,,?? 3 °S ****■ iand d«a- sons ari . ab d gland's aolPart in it. EvorvwW - A an wtive and on Saturday '? the evenings when the troona y afliern<>ons » ' Awapuiii concent™?? ve fr<Mn ' el| e to be seen tClkK '°" the ™ * forma—paradinff tti« r J sl " unimg thiX^L^V'*"»*, patronisfreshnient and ani/uaem? 1 ? Pl ® <oß of ire " wit of houses vvheThe , if J - ngin . ! t l ; i weloomcd, and drits* - 3 invariably fb 8 , S ?? Ut , in taxi " deacrintions; "l Ve, ! cles < „ of a!l Wen," and v.'icn ti,„ le liberty denee larve bodies n/tfJ 0 not in evi * ionally to be witnooJL l *? are occaath« Square bound throu K !v in mareSj' °J J® 6 ?, might Jmupen in &mv „f ?' war in history ifnow ssyrs^S&Ss national color! S£iV'S^3- S: £^ h ■ piotare. Palmerston at the «mfV w crowded with visitons. lra ' l -A FINE BODY OF MEN. ' Jb iS a ,® t f ail ?e atmosphere, an ateios ferewdT the Badneßs premded with <v ? lch '! nevertheless i - t „ lle eiiettrf ul confidence of ®»e people an tie ultimate outcome of Sh/W' an l b y an uZistZWe P'tA\ lha , ] % of the troops con. eentrated at Alwa l'uni. They are certamly a fine body of men, %road-shoul-l ithe > wbh -boiied yo.rag fellows, than whom New Zealand lias Wrer sent a letter contingen 2br oa i The mounted rifles and infantrf are maanly drawn fw® the Hawke'7 Bay, Taranaki, Wairarapa and Manawatu districts, and comDrfce men. fresh from the farm, tCT, fh and artisans, and include not a few wh» hiwe seen Hirvice with the Imperial Anny at Home, in South Africa, India and in various other parts of the world. ' Ihey comprise men of all .shades of society— equaUeiV hoiis, small farmers* aonSj the sons of professional and business men m the smaller towns, men of independent means, and men, in various ' oßher walks of life. They include many oi the tepecia.l3 who acited in Wellineton daiTing the time of the strike, and wath sufficient t,raining can certainly be. reckoned upon to five a good account of themselves ln , Europe. "The only trouble we' shall, have with them," remaffked an Imperial officer yesterday will be to hold them from dashing too impetuously at the enemv, but that will* come with tune and experience, .When they return .they will be the smartest «nd be« troops you have seen :in New Zealand."

'WHY THEY VOLUNTEERED. r< iT k 1138 «■ 'headlK; on tho statement tihat many of the men would volunfceere<i wCS that they werelto be sent toEuron" Kn qjianes jiui | e showed that this mumest>on « indignantly resented by the men 2? i IC6 J . Volnited that th« enlistmwte lrnd teen rather slow id until it was announced tliiat Eurooe 'n service wa'j intended, and that from then onwards enrolment proceeded vigorously. I would not have enrolled myself forgarrison duty in India Egypt," said the, speaker. "That would only Co . W n w°"w] nt i dr i U antl w^'uMmdV have been left out of the fitting. You W r k , to 1,6 ia iL " The last sentenca certainly expresses the attit«i<l e of the men, and fe actuated' not onlv out of a flense of patriotism but also' by a desire to talco «tn active part in tihp great drama, and to help in overcoming ™,L Cn6n n?. of Eui " ope andi of world's "i a letter written oj _ Robert Torrens, an officer i n ,the British Anmy, after the battle of Waterloo, 89 years ago, aptly states tie feelings of many of New Zealand's eons who ai'io now in camp upon tho Awa/pW racecourse: "I would not for any considers-' Won not have been in it; it will be ft battle referred to in history fo~ ages as deciding the fate of Europe." nhese sentiments, while applying (to the mownfed rifles and infantry drawn from the Wellington country districts,. 1 also apply with equal force -to the artillervmcn and other New Zealand soldiers in ! various arms of the service who have assemlbled at Palmerston North froon all parts of New Zealand. The whole of hi« men, numbering now slightly over 2500, are eager to go and are demonstrating tho fact by their keenness for work: and their excellent conduct, knowing that -unless they acquit thenuselvs well they aro liable to be thrown out, and there are plenty of others only too willing it© fill their places. WORK OF THE CAMP.

The work of the caimip is proceeding vigorously. Qll Saturday -\vlHm tho weather was' again 'beautifully line, the U'.fontry battalion', n-ulmbering WOO stiong, was again taJcen out to (the Hokowhifcu range for musketry instrliotioc, under Captain Rose, and as the n-cn swung b> their swinging stride anil, coir pact lines evoked t iie a pproval of many spectator. The infantry bat'ti.J;on Js being exercised in this way oacn day, firing ball ammunition at service targel-j and at a collapsible ste°l target 12in square, the idea being to accustom the men to their rifles. Up to ffie present (the results achieved* have been perfectly satisfactory, thoughsomo of them havs demonstrated that they have yet a lot to learn in Uu> car® and use of a rite As Kipling, the soldier's poet, is exceptionally popular in New Zealand military circles just now, it' is reported that the booksellers in botll Wellington and Palmereton North have nin out of copies of hi's military poems, the following quotation upon his advice to "young British soldiers" in the matter of rifle sLooting will be appreciated: When 'arf your bullets fly wide im- the ditch, Don it call your Martini a cross-eye:', old witch; >l\e' B huma.i as you are—you treat lier as sich, Oll' she'll light for the young British soldier.

I The infantry men arc also structed in the use of -the machine puns, which, -have had new barrels put in and have (been thoroughly overhauled and tested <m tho rifle rajige. TJie moiliibed squadrons in c«i«(p, numterinff some 650 officers fmd men, ar.t ttlso bewß vc-giuOarlv drilled and .taken out for route inarches, etc., while the field artillery with their 18-pounder B't-ns, 14c divisional and 'brigade amULuniuon coh.mns, the field enjpneers, signallers, and army sorvice corps, who make itp tha balance of tho Awupiuiti establishment. are likewise sottling down M solid ttraining.