JOINT DEFENCE COMMITTEE (REPORT OF THE) ON A PROPOSED SCHEME OF ORGANIZATION AND TRAINING OF THE NEW ZEALAND MILITARY FORCES. (Hon. Colonel SMITH, Chairman.)

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1920 Session I, I-12a

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1920. NEW ZEALAND.

JOINT DEFENCE COMMITTEE (REPORT OF THE) ON A PROPOSED SCHEME OF ORGANIZATION AND TRAINING OF THE NEW ZEALAND MILITARY FORCES. (Hon. Colonel SMITH, Chairman.)

Report brought up on 11th November, 1920, and ordered to be printed.

ORDERS OF REFERENCE. Extracts from the Journals of the Legislative Council. Wednesday, the 22nd Day oe September, 1920. Ordered, "That Rule 295 of the Standing Orders be suspended, and that a Select Committee be appointed to consider all matters pertaining to the defence of the Dominion, with power to sit and confer together with any similar Committee of the House of Representatives, anil to agree to a separate or joint report; with power to call for persons, papers, and records: the Committee to consist of the Hon. Mr. Barr, the Hon. Mr. Clark, the Hon. Colonel Collins, the Hon. Mr. Fleming, the Hon. Mr. Gow, the Hon. Sir W. Hall-Jones, the Hon. Mr. Hardy, the Hon. Mr. Hawke, the Hon. Colonel Smith, the Hon. Mr. Stewart, and the-mover." —-(Hon. Sir W. Eraser.) Friday, the Bth Day of October, 1920. Ordered, "That the names of the Hon. Mr. Michel, the Hon. Mr. Scott, and the Hon. Mr. Thomson be added to the Defence Committee."—(Hon. Sir W. Frasee.) Extracts from the Journals of the, House of Representatives. Wednesday, the 14th Day oe July% 1920. Ordered, " That Standing Order 219 be suspended, and that a Select Committee be appointed, consisting of eleven members, to deal with all matters in connection with defence; with power to call for persons, papers, and records; three to be a quorum: the Committee to consist of Mr. Glenn, Mr. Kellett, Mr. Mitchell, Mr. E. Newman, the Hon. Dr. Pomare, Mr. Potter, the Hon. Sir R. H. Rhodes, Mr. Seddon, Mr. R. W. Smith, Mr. Stewart, and the mover."— (Hon. Mr. Coates.) Thursday, the 7th Da*' oe OCTOBER, 1920. Ordered, "That the names of Mr. J. S. Dickson, Mr. S. G. Smith, and Mr. Masters be added to the Defence Committee; and the Committee to have power to confer with any Committee appointed for a similar purpose by the Legislative Council." —-(Hon. Sir R. H. Rhodes.)

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E E POE T. Your Committee has the honour to report:— 1. That it has considered a proposed scheme of organization and training of the New Zealand Military Forces prepared by the General Officer Commanding (Major-General Sir B. W. Chaytor, K.C.M.G., X.C.V.0"., C.B.,'A.D.C), submitted to it by the Hon. the Minister of Defence. 2. The General Officer Commanding was present during the consideration of the scheme and fully explained his proposals. 3. The cost of the scheme when fully established will be close on £600,000 per annum, and while the present high cost of all commodities continues it cannot be much reduced without loss of efficiency ; but this estimate provides for harbour defence, which is a naval as well as a military requirement, and for the physical training of those unfit for service in the Territorial Force, which is a " national efficiency " and not a " Defence " requirement. It does not, however, provide for the cost of aviation. For the next two years it is estimated that the cost will be under £500,000. In addition, with universal training, the cost of the " Cadet " and the eighteen-nineteen year " general " or " recruit " training must increase with the population. 4. The system of organization and training as finally agreed upon with the concurrence and approval of the General Officer Commanding is as follows : — Liability foe Training. Senior Cadets. —From fourteen years of age (or date of leaving primary school, if later) to eighteen years of age, as at present. General or Recruit Training. —-From eighteen to nineteen years of age. Territorial Force (in the case of those posted). —From nineteen to twenty-two years of age. Reserve. —Those between nineteen and thirty years of age who are not serving in the Territorial Force. The whole training of those not required for the Territorial Force to be completed in their eighteenth-nineteenth year. Any Cadet may, on the grounds that the training will interfere with his studies, claim and be given permission to postpone his recruit or general training from year to year, but in such case he will be required to complete the full period of general or Territorial training before being posted to the Reserve. Any Cadet may, if medically unfit to benefit by the training, be put back from year to year, but in such case his liability for training will not be extended beyond his twenty-second year. No exemption from training to be given except to those certified by Medical Board as unfit to benefit by a course of physical training, but any who object on conscientious grounds to military training to be allowed to do extra physical or general training in lieu of any purely military training. Training. Senior Cadets. —Twelve half-day parades, twenty evening drills, and prescribed course of musketry. Attendance to be compulsory for all Cadets who live within three miles of a drill centre, but as a rule drills will not be held at centres where less than twenty-four Cadets attend. From fourteen to sixteen years of age, training to be individual —mainly physical and squad drill. From sixteen to eighteen years of age, full training up to platoon standard to be given. Musketry course to be mainly with the -22" rifle. During the last quarter of a Cadet year all those who are due to pass out will be classified as under: — (a) Those who are well developed and who have reached a good standard of training ; (b) Those who are less so, but who have reached a fairly satisfactory standard; (c) Those who have done no training, or who have not benefited by that which they have done; and (d) Those who are physically unfit for service in the Territorial Force. Provisional posting arrangements will be made. General or Recruit Training.- —This will be carried out in district concentration camps by thoroughly qualified Staff Corps or Permanent Staff Instructors. Cadets will be called up in batches, and can therefore, in most cases, train at the date most convenient to themselves. Cadets classified as (a) will do two weeks' training for the arm of the service to which posted; those classified as (b) and (c) will train until they reach (a) standard, and then do two weeks' training for the arm of the service to which posted (maximum period, six weeks); those classified (d) will do a physical-training course of six weeks' duration, unless certified by a Medical Board as unfit to benefit by such a course. Cadets will be classified each week, and no one who has made good progress will be kept back on account of others in his squad being backward.

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During this period the required number of recruits will be selected and posted to the Territorial Force. Those who are fittest and who live nearest the drill centres to be selected, but every consideration to be given to the man's trade and personal wishes when deciding to which branch of the service he is to be posted. It is estimated that about four thousand will be required each year, and that this number will be found from among those classed as (a), or who pass into that class within two weeks, so that the remainder will train for a period which will largely balance the subsequent training of those posted to the Territorial Force. It will be much cheaper to complete their training in the one year than to call them up for a short period in each of the three following years. Youths who follow a seafaring life should be trained with the Naval Reserve when established. Territorial Force. —An annual training-camp. Officers and non-commissioned officers for thirteen days, men for eleven days. In cities, or centres where efficiency can be secured, eight half-day parades, twelve drills, and the prescribed course of musketry to be substituted for the first four days in camp. Officers and Non-commissioned Officers. The whole keynote of success lies in providing efficient officers and non-commissioned officers. Non-commissioned Officers' Course. —During the recruit course about 7 per cent, of those to be posted to each Territorial unit, together with about half as many more selected from the unit itself, may attend a non-commissioned officer's course of two weeks' duration. Those who pass will be posted to the unit as corporals. Officers-training Course. —Non-commissioned officers who have done one annual training as a non-commissioned officer, and can produce a Sixth Standard proficiency (or equivalent) certificate of general education may be selected to attend an officers-training course of four weeks' duration, on passing which they will be commissioned as 2nd Lieutenants, but must engage to serve until twent-five years of age. 2nd Lieutenants after one year's efficient service to be promoted Lieutenant. Lieutenants after one year's efficient service in that rank may attend a promotion course of two weeks' duration. Captains after one year's efficient service in that rank may attend a promotion course of two weeks' duration. Majors after one year's efficient service in that rank may attend a promotion course of two weeks' duration. Sergeants must attend a two weeks' promotion course before being promoted to Warrant Officer. Eeserve officers and Non-commissioned officers must attend a refresher course, or an annual training of their unit, each third year. To stiffen the force by the inclusion of older men a proportion of the rank and file should be encouraged to extend their service beyond the age of twenty-two. This system of training will reduce the liability of youths who have taken full advantage of their Cadet training, from 49 days in camp, 84 half-day parades, and 210 evening drills, spread over a period of seven years, to either 47 days in camp or 35 days in camp, 24 half-day parades, and 36 evening drills, concentrated into four years; but it will provide a much more efficient training. It will not provide a highly trained force, but it will provide an efficient one which can be quickly brought to a high state of training on mobilization. If at any time the Government wish for a more thorough training and are prepared to pay the increased cost, the first increase should be to the training of officers, next to the period of recruit training, and lastly to the period of Territorial training and to peace establishment of the Territorial units. Pay. So long as service is universal the scale of pay is not so important, since the service may be looked on as a duty paid to the State by every one, but where only a portion are required to serve or to undertake an extra liability their pay should be on a fair scale. It is therefore recommended that the pay of those undergoing recruit or general training be at the rate of 2s. per day, but that those posted to the Territorial Force should be paid on a sliding scale at a slightly higher rate than the present one, which is 4s. per day for privates, and giving a fair increase for each higher rank. Pay to be given for each day in camp, or for each day or halfday on which a man is called away from his employment. These scales are low, but are necessitated by the financial position. If any increase is given it should first be given to those who undertake an extra liability as officers or non-commissioned officers, or who extend their service. Organization. The present division into districts and groups was made quite irrespective of the population of each, or of the strategic requirements, and the attempt made in 1914 to link Territorial units with squadrons or companies of the Expeditionary Force soon broke down, as it was found to be impracticable to keep reinforcements for any one squadron or company. The most efficient method was to pool the reinforcements for a brigade. Our organization should be such as will provide for the rapid mobilization and the subsequent maintenance of a force for defence either against raids or against an attempt to invade New Zealand. To meet the first contingency only a small force is required, but to meet the last our maximum force should be quickly available so as to crush an attempt at invasion in the shortest possible time.

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It is therefore recommended that New Zealand be divided into three instead of four districts or commands —viz., Auckland (or Northern), Wellington (or Central), and South Island (or Southern). At present the population of these is in the proportion of 16 :18 : '22; but that in each of the North Island districts is increasing more rapidly than that in the South Island, while each of the North Island districts contains one of the two most important ports, and each is more liable to attack than the South Island. The Territorials in each district to be organized as follows : — Mounted Rifles : Two regiments. Artillery.-— Field Artillery Depot: Providing one section Mountain Battery (two guns) and section Ammunition Column, one Field Artillery Brigade. Coast Defence Depot: Providing fixed batteries, heavy batteries, anti-aircraft. Field Engineer Depot: Providing one Field Troop, one Field Company. Signal Engineer Depot : Providing otre Signal Troop, one Signal Company. Infantry : Providing four battalions. Medical Depot : Providing one Cavalry Field Ambulance, one Field Ambulance, one Sanitary Section. Veterinary Depot: Providing two Mobile Veterinary Sections. 4,5.0. Depot: Providing one section T. and S. Company for Mounted Eifle Brigade, one-third Divisional Train. All units to have the same war establishment as similar units of the British Army, but the peace cadres to be a full establishment of officers, non-commissioned officers, artificers, and specialists, but only 50 per cent, of other ranks. Note. —Mounted Eifles and Infantry will be trained in machine guns, and Artillery in trench-mortars. Rifle Clubs. Rifle Clubs cannot be considered as a second line to the Territorial Force on mobilization. They do not possess the organization to fit in with any fighting force, while ail their members of military age will be Territorial Force Reservists and would be liable to be called to the Territorial Force on mobilization. The proper role of Rifle Clubs is the encouragement of rifle shooting, which should be encouraged as much as the need for economy will allow. The assistance given should be mainly in the form of cheap ammunition, but any assistance given should apply equally to members of Rifle Clubs and to Territorials who wish for further practice in addition to their compulsory musketry course. The expenditure in Rifle Clubs is steadily increasing, and is not under control of the Defence Department, as members of Rifle Clubs appeal direct to the Minister, or to Parliament, for extra grants which, if given, must be at the expense of other items of the Defence vote. It is therefore important that the amount voted for the encouragement of rifle shooting should be shown as a separate item on the Defence vote, and that the expenditure be kept within the amount voted. The greatest benefit with least expenditure is undoubtedly obtained by Cadet training where it is regularly carried out by competent instructors, and this must suffer by a limitation of trainingcentres, but a possible solution is to obtain local instructors on a part-time basis, and this will be tried, but its success will depend on our being able to induce Territorial Force officers and noncommissioned officers to qualify as instructors and to undertake regular duty. George J. Smith, 11th November, 1920. Chairman, Joint Committee.

Approximate Cost of Paper. —Preparation, not Riven ; printing (..00 copies), £0 10s.

Authority : Marcus F. Marks, Government Printer, Wellington.—1920.

Price 3d.]