STRUCK OFF THE STRENGTH.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 March 1918, Page 2

STRUCK OFF THE STRENGTH.

THE TERRITORIAL SYSTEM. (From Our Own Correspondent). Wellington, March 4. "Captain is struck off tlio strength of the s\few Zealand Expeditionary Force and absorbed with his original rank and seniority, viz, 2nd lieutenant, ar, from October 22. 1014." Notices of this kind, appearing constantly in military orders indicate that the officer concerned lias censed to he a member of tho Expeditionary Force and has been transferred back into the Territorial Force, where he takes the rank and seniority that he possessed before he went, to the front. The system naturally has produced much adverse comment, on the ground that officers with extended war exporv ence are being deprived of their war-won rank and placed under Territorial officers who have not been to the front at all. Defence headquarters explains that the system is necessary for the maintenance of (he Territorial Force at due strength and asserts that there is no real injustice to the officers concerned. If all officers retained their Expeditionary Force rank after their discharge and absorption info the Territorial Force, there would soon he. a. most: embarrassing surplus of lieutenants, captains, majors and other officers. The Territorial armv can carry onlv a certain complement of officers. A Territorial officer, while on active servic, does not miss any chance of promotion in the Territorial Force. Tho authorities here see that his interests are protected in that respect. They give him any promotion that would have come his way if he had stayed with the home armv. The position of the officer* will be surveyed again when the war is over and the Expeditionary Force has been demobilised. It wili still be impossible for tho Territorial Army to contain more than a fixed complement of officers, hut the Defence Department will seek to make use of the most experienced men within reach. There is no official statement on this point, but it is a good c»ess that, many of tho older Territorial officers n( present on the strength will go on the retired list. Very manv of the Expeditionary Force officers will have to go to the Reserve of Officers, and they will hold there the rank thev had in the field.