WAR NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 December 1915, Page 5

WAR NEWS.

WHAT A ROUTE MARCH MEAN-, To the civilian, the idea of a ronfa inarch is (.imply that tho soldiers. marching four abreast in (heir respective com-, panics, sot out from one place to reach another; that they march in eolumn-of-rout*l, and a man has to keep fit if ha wants to keep pace with his comrades. But there is a lot more in it than that to the soldier. In the lirit place, there must he no hurrying or rivalry at Win outset; when the men are fresh, tho tendency is for tltein to make the pace fast. Thif lias to lie checked. Then, when an incline is reached, the leaders are liable to shorten stride. This mraa* that the companies following pile up upon them. If there is a down-grade mi the other side of the hill, the leader* will lengthen their stride, and leave those who are still on the up-grade, On the route march officers and orderly officers take up positions, and count the number of paces per minute taken by the troops. They also count 1 lit; number of men who pass diiriuo that time, and regulate their marchins' according!On a lons march anv discrepancies in the rate of snce.l of ililVcrcnt companies soon become most marked, and a column on the niaHi must, not occupy more than a given space. It, is partly to regulate* and steady the pace that the company that was marching in the rear is moved to the head of the column at every hall. Another reason is ;hat the change freshens the men, for it is ahv.ivs more pleasant to march in the lead. Similarly it is easier to march at the outside of a tile of four men. So at each rest, tho inside men move to the outside, A properly-cn idueted rouie march i; therefore smncthinir more than a te-'t of elldurance; it. is the mnivhing of a per-fectly-organised machine which never lengthens or contracts, never hasten* and never lags, hut goes onward steadily at a pace of three mile- an hour. Theso tiling's make a successful route march over rough roads like those of the Rimutakas all the more creditable to tliosd cncerned.