WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 February 1917, Page 5

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

BAfONET DRILL. (From Our Own Correspondent); J v Wollington, Jan. 30. ■> Lord Northcliff, according to a caMctf statement, has said that the bayone<L» drill of the New Zealand soldiers jtai' ' ,not thoroughly up-to-date. Keferrinff to this matter yesterday the Miniated* foi Defence (Hon J. Allen) said tha* the bayonet instruction given in th« twining camps in this'country had lieVni progressively improved during the p;ri»dj of the war and had been kept "on! closely in line as possible with thflj training given in the British camps,, where the lessons of the war were *p<* plied. The Defence Department lia* not been satisried with written instruct tions and advice. ' It had brought U*ck* to New Zealaud trsined and experiencad| men, in order that they might imparl! to the recruits in the camps the speciai knowledge they had acquired themselves! in Britain and France.. The Minister added that ho did not think auytHine has been left undone to ensure thai the.. training given in the New Zealand! camps was as modern and practical a* i* could be nuub. The training period was short but the ground-work was laid; soundly n'nd well and the results hadj pleased (hose most competent to jndfoi The Minister added that it was no* proposed to shorten the. training period! in New Zealand. The training coveruU four months, from which deductions hail to be made for leave, and durirj Vu.lt time the recruits had to be set up and' developed physically, taught habits ot discipline and military routine, drilled; and trained in the use of vae rifle aad? the bayonet. The additional tratofnjn that was given in the United Kingdom, before the men proceeded to the front! was of a specialised character and wa» meant to be supplementary to the jin< st ruction given previously. The iig in New Zealand had the additioiail advantage of discovering the men wfcoj had physical weaknesses and so .saving the expenses of fending them around. the world. The fact that in spite of th* severe tests in New Zealand some pvt did break down after they had raftch*. Ed the war uvea was proof that th«# Wining period was none too long.' NEW ZEALANDERS AT THE FROtfTt Some interesting remarks regarding Ihe New' Zealand Forces nt the front,an) ' made in a letter from Colonel W. Hi Pa ikes, Deputy Director of Medical Sew vice, to the Minister for Defence (HOJI4 J. Allen). AVritiiin- from London carljj in December, Colonel Parkcs said: ■ "My last viait to France was very fcu foresting. I spent some" time with tiuj. medical units ind paid particular attend tion to the arrangements to provide ho 4 baths for the whole Division, the wash* ing, sterilising and distribution of clean underclothing and the provision of otena, f for the drying of boots. The men re< turn from the trevches to a rest-faouM in their gum-boots, which they w,astt and hand over to be dried, receiving ai clean prfir of socks and their dried bdota in e.vchangc. . . The dry canteens) i.re well.conducted The men can flur-* chase almost anything at a trifle oven, ccst. The estaminets, where so many 0/ the men spend their evenings, are no 6 satisfactory, ind I am pleased to know that a New Zealand Social Club is to»be established in the Digision, where the. men can ' enjoy themselves amid more; wholesome surroundings. "If is gratifying to note that reiw forcements an now arriving with a" clean, bill of health as regards cerebro spinal meningitis. . . . Massage }k a form of treatment that becomes mora nnd more necessary, and it a special feature of the electro-massage depart* ment of the Convalescent Hospital, Kornchurch, where twelve masseuses are constantly employed. They are; . chiefly from the Almeric Paget Corpi, an Institute whhili supplies the military hospitals and convalescent homes yfttii masseuses who are well trained in up-to* dctc methods. . . To meet demands, which are steadily increasing, we have '\ recently taken over, through the War Oflice, as an* auxiliary of No. 2 New Zealand General Hospital, the Oatlands. ' Park Hotel. It stands in a park, ot' about fifty acres within a mile of WaR tor. Hospital, >.. nd Vill accommodate oyer S(10 patients of the lighter types, the, sereve eases, espwhlly surgical, remain- ,' ing at the iiain hospital. The policyof aggregating our patients as ntuch as possible in New Zcnland hospitals ia ; moving quite pound and amply justifies the amount of accommodation provided. There is no doubt that the average stay is shorter than in Kritish Hospital*, both [as rerards officers and riien. For sentimental reasons New Zealanders arc particularly welcome ; n British Hospital* nnd sisters have admitted to me that they always like to retain a few New Zealand soldiers. This is, of co.itae, very complimentary, hut/with a relatively small force nt our disposal it is of the utmost importance to return every officer and man to duly in the shortest possible'time. « "Mr. C. A. Knight, who not only »W----r-rmisly placed his beautiful house .at Brighton at the disposal of the New Zealand conv.iloscent officers in .Tune of last year, but ha.4 also discharged tho whole cost of i.taff end maintenanc/has row given further proof of his intctr-t in Now Zealand by offering a hoilM! t.» , accommodate thirty officers. It is situated in the mine terrace in <iuite the ' nicst beautiful part of Biightoi. We are undertaking the cost of renovation, furnishing and maintenance. The a.Uiticnal house will prove a great Iwon, nnd in the more congenial climate our oflicers i.'ill make the best possible progress towards rccovcry."(