A.—4,

30

CHAPTER 111. Personnel and Recruiting. PRELIMINARY REMARKS. The personnel required for the New Zealand Division comes under two headings: — (a.) Officers and men of the Regular Naval Forces, who will be required to man the vessels of the Division, both in peace and war. Included also under this heading are officers on the Emergency and Retired Lists, together with time-expired men. The Force should be known as the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy. (b.) Officers and men of the Reserve Naval Forces, who will be required in war to augment the Regular Naval Forces, and to provide the necessary naval additions to the complement of armed merchant escort ships, patrol vessels, mine-sweepers, defensively armed merchant ships, &c. Included also under this heading is the personnel required in war for manning the signal and reporting stations round the coast, and the personnel for the shore wireless telegraph stations which pass under the control of the Navy in war. This Force should be known as the New Zealand Division of the Royal Naval Reserve. REGULAR NAVAL FORCES. New Zealand Division op the Royal Navy. 2. In accordance with the general scheme under which it is proposed that the Dominion should provide and maintain the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy, the vessels comprising the Division should be manned wholly, or in part, according to the numbers available, by New-Zealanders, the balance of complement being provided by the Mother Country. Until such time has elapsed as will, permit of the entry and training of New-Zealanders the officers and men must be supplied entirely by the Mother Country, their places being taken by New-Zealanders as they become available. 3. The officers of the New Zealand Division should be considered available for service in H.M. ships in all parts of the world. The men should be considered available for service in any ship that may in the future be maintained by the New Zealand Government, or in. ships of the Royal Navy employed in the Far Eastern Fleet, which includes the China and East Indies Squadron. The manning of the ships of the New Zealand Division should be regarded as the primary object of the personnel of the unit. Service on the East Indies and China Stations should be considered as foreign service. 4. Facilities should be provided for men belonging to the New Zealand Division to transfer to the Royal Navy at any stage during their term of service. They should be eligible for transfer in the rating which they hold at the time, and after transfer should receive Royal Naval rates of pay, and should be liable for service anywhere in the same way as other ratings of the Royal Navy, and, subject to agreement as to the contribution towards liability for pensions to be made by the New Zealand Government, their services in the New Zealand Division should be allowed to count towards pension. Officers and Men of the Royal Navy lent to New Zealand. 5. It is recommended that the Admiralty should provide the officers and men necessary to complete the complements of the vessels of the New Zealand Division, lending them " for service under the New Zealand Government."