MILITARY TRAINING.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 May 1918, Page 6

MILITARY TRAINING.

AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND METHODS CONTRASTED. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Wellington, May 8. One of the points made by the Cliiei pi the General Stall', when appearing before the Defence Expenditure Oouiinis ! eion the oliher day, was that the comparatively long period of training received by New Zealand soldiers in their own country was justified by experience- The men went aibroad as par-tially-trained soldiers, and not as raw tecruits, he said, and consequently they had the discipline that would help them on their way and make easy the training that had still to be done. The poinit is recalled to memory by the experience Wellington has had lately of Australian reinforcements. Many Australian soldiers have had leave in the city, and their lack of training and discipline has been olbvious. It is not suggested that they have made themselves objectionable in any way; in fact, they have proved a very jrood-huirtored body of men. But they look and talk like mere civilians in uniform in comparison with New Zealand's senior reinforcements. Many of them have not had more than a week or two's training. Their real introduction to militaor*' inethod and discipline lias still to be made.