DEFENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 August 1920, Page 5

DEFENCE.

HINTS FOR THE FUTURE.

GENERAL OHAYTOR'S REPORT, (By Wire.—Parliamentary Reporter.) Wellington, Last Night. The Commandant of the Forces (Major-General Sir Edward Chaytor), in the annual report of the Defence Department, urges that the Government should decide the future defence policy of the Dominion as <joon as possible, in order that the Department may proceed With any necessary reorganisation. The strength of the staff corps and the permanent staff depends upon the policy. It is desirable that as many as possible of the experienced officers and non-commissioned officers of the Expeditionary Force should be used in training territorials .and cadets, but no arrangements can yet be made. "Without desiring to influence the policy, which is the function of the Government," says the Commandant, "I would like to emphasise the following lessons of the war as applied to this Dominion: (a) An efficient army can cuickly he organised provided every man has had a limited amount of training, and there is available an ample Bupply of modern equipment and highly-trained officers and non-commissioned officers. (b) The large percentage of the man-power found hy medical examination to be physically unfit for service points to the necessity of a thorough course of physical training for all youths."

The Commandant says that the experience of the present'training system has shown that the attempt to cany out training in sparsely populated districts has been expensive, unproductive of efficiency, ?,nd very burdensome to the trainee and his employer. The limitation Of training tc » Territorial Force having a maximum establishment of 30,000 has resulted in over 50 per cent, of those who are liable under the Act receiving no training. This has caused great dissatisfaction. while the physically unfit who would benefit most by a course of training have been exempted. The average New Zealander, says General Ohaytor, can be trained quickly to take his place in the ranks, but officers and noncommissioned officers require longer training. A large proportion of the young men are not physically fit for active service, but ,many of these can be made fit, and alniost all of them can be improved by a few weeks' course of physical training. He emphasises the importance of discipline ana training in war.

"It is for the Government to decide on the future of the Defence Forces," adds the Commandant, "but I would urge that when considering the immediate need for economy the vital necessity for efficiency should not be overlooked. Men of the type of our New Zealand soldiers, even when partly trained and poorly equipped, can be trusted to do well and to succeed if possible; but in actual war, deficiencies in training and equipment must always be paid for with men's lives."

The report mentions that no definite policy has been laid down in regard to aviation. The department ha 9 contented itself with registering the qualified pilots who are in New Zealand, arranging for the transportation from Britain of thirty-three aeroplanes presented by the British Government, and with erecting two hangars in the Soekbura aerodrome, and with giving some financial assistance td the Auckland flying school. The Commandant considers that for some time to como aviation in New Zealand should be developed on civil rather than on military lines, and that provision should be made for its expansion for military requirements ini a national emergency.

THE REPORT DISCUSSED, i OBJECTIONS TO MUCH EXPENSE. yALUE OF PHYSICAL TRAINING. By Teleerapli.—Press Association. Wellington, Last, Night. The report of the Defence Department raised discussion in the House o! Repre- 1 eentatives on defence which'lasted practically the whole afternoon. Mr. Wilford asked if the policy of the department in 1919 was the policy today, namely, to restrict the period of territorial trainiilg to ages from 18 to 21 years, instead of 25. In view of the scarcity of young men required in industries he suggested the advisability of still further curtailing this period of training, especially as the experience of the war had shown that a soldier could be trained in a much shorter period than was formerly supposed.

The Hon. J. A. Hanan contended the Dominion was not justified in paying big salaries to men whose work was nothing like so arduous as that of men in other departments. He ailvocated greater attention being paid to physical culture and training. Mr, Forbes said the. feeling throughout, the country was that we were maintaining too expensive a defence system, lie said' naval dvfence was of more vital Importance to the Dominion than military schemes. Mr. Kellett advocated an elastic system of training, as men who had received only three months' training' had played an important part in defeating the greatest military nation in the world.

Mr. Mitchell regretted it, was necessary to maintain the defence system, but the fact remained Unit, if the Empire was to bo. lipid together wo must lie over roadv to defend ourselves against attack. The debate was interrupted by the «.:i0 p.m. adjournment. THE MINISTER'S SEPIA'.

In the evening the Minister of, Defence (Sir Kenton ilhodes) said he was convinced that the feeling of the conntry was that the cost of the defence scheme must be cut down. At the same time, though the country wanted a smaller defence force, ii. wanted an efficient, force. A scheme to meet these wishes had been submitted by him to the General Officer Commanding, who was at present working out the details, ard when this was completed the scheme would be submit,ted to Cabinet for approval. ■ lie could not disclose the scheme, Iml, he would say that there would be no camps this year. The cadet force would be retained, but a number of half days and whole day .drills, which proved so irritating, would be abolished. Camps would be held for cadets, and after they passed through these camps they would be drafted into some sort of reserve. He thought the men could he sufficiently trained, but the non-commissioned officers could not be trained in 50 short a period. Aviation would be used in connection with military §Mvices, but by_ Utilising

it in a eivil capacity, so that the loss to the conntry would not he so great, liegitvding the R.N.Z.A. lie was waiting for suggestions from the Commandant before deciding what wonid he done with that force, vliich, he admitted, had not bre/i kept ii[> to full stiength. He approved the training of cadets at Duiitroon. Ho strongly approved of a large measure of physical training' jn connection with military development, but he would not consider a reversion to the volunteer system. The territorial system was luioli preferable, u proof of which was that it, wa< en the territorial basis that our Expeditionary Korea was huilt up. Voeat.ionnl training; would not be overlooked. and General Birdwood's suggestion that our officers should be ■ exchanged with the ofliecrs of the Indian foreiy wrn actually being carried out, though he ecr.ld not say how many New Xeslariders were in Imlin at present. 'J-lit' paper was laid on the table.