NEW ZEALAND CAMPS.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 March 1916, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND CAMPS.

BETTER THAN ANY AT HOME. VISITING OFFICER'S VERDICT. SYSTEM OF TRAINING PRAISED. Wellington, Yesterday. A high tribute to New Zealand's training camps and the excellence of our training system was paid by an officer from the Western front when interviewed by a Post reporter. The officer in question, who is at present on a visit to New Zealand, lias inspected both Trentham and Featherston camps, and was asked to state his views. "There can be no question," he said, "as to the enormous advantage of havling large camps, such as Trentham and Featherston, and New Zealand is to be congratulated on having recognised this. They corespond to Aklershot and Salisbury Plain cani'is in England. Modern war calls for military science, and the vast' iirij lall ce of a careful and progressive system of individual instruction cannot be too strongly emphasised. Not only this, but it Is of equal importance that every man sailing for active service shall have been trained on identical lines. Any system which would require the dispersion of troops undergoing training would undoubtedly result in a loss of efficiency, of control, and of the necessary unity of■ thought. Here, in your most excellent camps, and I can assure vou they are infinitely superior to any I- have seen at Home, you are able to concentrate your best instructional apparatus, and to ensure that a sound and progressive system of training is provided for every man under instruction. After what I have seen in France, I cannot too strongly emphasise the importance of this. It is a war that calls not only for the best in man, but also for the very highest standard of discipline and efficiency in the individual. The better this discipline and efficiency the lower the casuajty lists, and the higher the damage inflicted on tiie enemy. This has been proved so often during the present war that it requires 110 amplification." Referring to New Zealand's soldiers, he said: "To an English officer their physique, activity of mind and body and extraordinary keenness all combine to create the impression that they form the finest material for an army in the world. New Zealand will find it difficult to imagine the admiration of the Army in France when the landing at the Dardanelles .succeeded, an admiration not from those in the background, but from soldiers who bad fought from Jlons to the Aisne, and Ypres, and who had been fighting for over eight months. Consequently I arrived in New Zealand expecting to meet real, well-trained fighting men. Yet 1 can only say that my anticipations have been more than realised, and I am surprised at its ev-. cellenee and the fine spirit which prevails. Not only in your camps for the Expeditionary Force, but throughout New Zealand I have found the same keenness and the same determination prevails. This is a happy augury for a country which would have to 'depend upon itself, for the first few weeks, in the event of attempted invasion. You have asked for my opinion and impressions of what I have seen since my arrival, and I give it. Your men are splendid material, your training oamps the best 1 have ever seen, and your system of training is equally as good as that prevailing at Home."