THE TERRITORIALS

Auckland Star, Volume XLV, Issue 133, 5 June 1914, Page 8

THE TERRITORIALS

GENERA- GODLEY'S REPORT.

EXCELLENT SPIRIT SHOWN".

(By Telegraph.—Press Association!

WELLINGTON". Thursday

The following report upon territorial camps recently held throughout Now Zealand has been furnished by MajorGeneral Go-lev to the Hon. -las. Allen (Minister for Defence): —-'What are probably the most important camps ever held in New Zealand have now concluded. For tlie first time in the •historr of the citizen army all troops in each district, wit- the exception of the Garrison Artillery, which camped separately, have been -assembled in one camp, and have thus been enabled' to carry out operations in which horse, foot", and- artillery were combined. The camps derived great addled importance from the fact that the work done by them was seen by the lnspector-Gencr.i! of Overseas Purees (General Sir lan Hamilton), and that upon his impression of them tlie reports which he is f> render to tlie Imperial Govern—em ami to the Dominion Government will be largely based. •'ln" each, these who were unable to attend the Jirst 6.im|> attended the casual camp, held immediately afterwards on the oawe ground.''

After detailing the camps visited by Sir lan Hamilton, die report states: —

"At the casual x-amps tho attendance was as follows:—Otago, 250: Cantertury. ">46: Nelson, 113: Wellington, 636; Auckland. 199. Only one of these (at Takapau) had the good -fortune to be seen by Sir lan Hamilton. Particularly good work was done by the Otago casuals. The total number of Garrison Artillery seen by the Inspec-tor-General was JG4. and of tbe Railway Battalions ar.d' Post and Telegraph Corps 444, which gives a grand total of 16.752 troops inspected by him.

"Jn addition to the citizen army as above, concentrations of cadets for inspection by Sir lan Hamilton took place as follow:'—lnvercargill, 1(130: Dunedin, 1-18; Oamaru. +44; Timam. 080; Christchurch. 1,683: Nelson. 643: Rotor—i. 43:1: Hamilton. 1.070: Auckland. 3,812: Hastings, 1.222: Falmcrston -North, 1.084; Wanganui. r>Sn: New Plymouth. 940: W'.'llincrton, 1.304; Masterton. 531; Blenheim. .113. making a total of cadets inspected of 17.50."). These concentrations of cadets necessitated die boys coming in many cases fro— considerable distances. In many casrs. where they had to stay the night, arrangements for their -billeting 1 aud feeding were made by the civil authorities and citizens, and the Defence Department oweb a great debt of gratitii.le to all those iwtlo assisted in this respect. A considerable strain was pat on the organisation and administration of the Department by having the troops and cadets assa-lhled tit practically the same time, but the organisation stood the test. and. generally 3peaJking, both camps and concentrations of cadets passed off without a hitch.

'—special sacrifices were also demanded from employers for the same reason, but as a rule they responded ungrudgingly, and allowed all their employees to -lie away. As far as possible the Inspector-deneral saw every unit of the citizen army, and every cadet company, and considering the difficulties of concentration, it it- satisfactory that he should have,—"en so large a proportion, namely. 36.10", of a total strength of s].."i(il of territorials and cadets, or over 70 per cent.

'Though the camps were completed this year earlier than usual I hitherto they have always run into June), a great deal of had weather was experienced owing to the winter being excep-tion-ally early, but the conduct and spirit of the troops -was. as a rule, excellent, and the discomforts consequent on the wet weather were made little of by those who had to bear ihem."'