TERRITORIAL NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume XLV, Issue 186, 6 August 1914, Page 8

TERRITORIAL NOTES.

(By RIFLEMAN.) FORTHCOMING PARADES. Mondays.—No. 3 Field Co.. Engineers. Tuesdays.—Divisional Signal Co. Thursdays.—A Battery. August li. —Coast Defence, A Co., Nos. land - Platoons, aud B Co., No. 8 Platoon (Northcote); 3rd Regiment, ■ A Co. (Avondale Centre) and D Co. August 10.—3rd Regiment, B Co. August 111—Coast Defence, A Co. Nos 3 and 4 Platoons iOnehunga), and B Co., No. ti Platoon (Devonport), and No. 7 Platoon (Birkenhead); 3rd Rest. A Co. August 12.—3rd Regiment, C Co. August 13.—Coast Defence, A Co., Nos. 1 and 2 Platoons, a-nd R Co., No. 8 Platoon (Northcote); 3rd Regiment, A Company (Avondale Centre); and D Co.

As from to-night fortnightly section parades of the A Battery, N.Z.F.A., .will bt abandoned, and till further notice the Battery will parade weekly as a whole. The parades will -be held at Fort Takapuua, and at the same time as heretofore.

Tiie New Zealand long service and good conduct medal has been awarded to Corporal Artificer liugli Barnhill, K.N.Z.A.

Tubes (aiming and Morris) have been declared obsolete by the Imperial Sen-ice, and no more will be imported. When the local stock bas "been exhausted, no more will be available for sale.

Second-lieutenant 11. S. Baddeley has been -transferred from the 7th (Wellington "West Coast) Regiment to the 16th (Waikato) Regiment. Promotion to the rank of captain In the N.Z.M.C. has been conferred upon Lieutenants B. J. Dudley, C. E. llowden, C B. Hossiter. K. Mackenzie, and W. Stanley.

The promotion of Major H. C. Nutsford, A.Q.G., at Auckland, from the rank of captain, has been gazetted. Similar promotion has been conferred upon Major W. L. Uobinsou, Major W. H. Mendings, and Major J. T. Bosworth, the other A.Q.G's. Other promotions notified in the last

"Gazette" are those of Colonel W. G. Braithwaite, Chief of General .Staff, and of Colonel G. N. Johnston, It.A., Inspector of Artillery, Coast Defences, Guns, and Ammunition, from the rank of Lleut.-ColoneL

The bridging detachment of No. 3 Field Cbmpany of Engineers did some good work at their parade on Monday evening last, Iv the construction of barrel piers and other transport devices. Quite a lot of ingenuity has to be expended iv the making of a serviceable transport of, say, one barrel, a fewplanks, and some lashings. One squad of sappers, however, turned out a very busi-ness-like one-man vessel from those niatAlals.

The rearrangement of the military districts provides for four groups in Auckland as before, each uuder a Group Commander and Record Officer; the division of cacu group Into areas, with an Area Oflicer in charge of one or two areas- and the subdivision of each area into sub-areas, each under a Sub-area, Sergeant-major. The last-named officer will be responsible for the computation of all Information relating to those liable for training, and will control the equipment of senior cadet companies and the general training section.

Out of 11.512 soldiers lv all fighting units in Victoria, only 5,401 succeeded iv qualifying la musketry during the last financial year. This means (says the Melbourne

-Age') that over 50 per cent of the troops cannot shoot with the accuracy that mignt be necessary In an emergency. lv his report on the Australian detence system, General Sir lan Humilton offered the opinion that two Commonwealth soldiers would only be equal to one Invader, aud there Is reason to believe now that his low estimate was based on marksmanship—or lack of It. Only 0,118 fighting men were put through tlie course, though DO - ! were partly exercised, but 1,792 did not fire a shot at the targets, a small proportion of these being associated with the Field Artillery and Army Medical Corps. In all, 3,712 succeeded in qualifying In the recruits' course, but 3,927 failed to reach the necessary standard, while 1.739 trained men shot up to the qualification requirements, and «H0 others failed.

The Russians have again secured the King Edward VII. Gold Challenge Cup at the International Horse Show at the Olympla, London. This marks the third win In succession for the Czar's representatives. When one considers the interest displayed In this particular contest of the leading army riders of the leading European nations, the success of the Russians is all the more remarkable. Despite the splendid riding In particular of the Freach and English horsemeu, the Russian team, composed of Captains d'Exe. Paul Rodzianko, and Plechkotr, won easily. The prowess of the Muskovlte in the saddle Is a national pride, and it would seem that the expert riders of the country are Invincible. The Gold Cup now becomes the absolute property of Russia. The strength of the territorial force on April 30. 1914, was:— Territorial force 25 654 Senior cadets 25*882 Rifle clubs— (a) General training section... 3,729 (b) Ordinary members 2,577 Total "57^ A BATTERY REUNION. The annual reunion of past and present members of the A Battery, N.Z.F.A., will take place on Saturday, August 22nd. A football match, present Battery v past ■will be played at No. 1, Campbell" Show Ground. in the afternoon, and a smoke concert will lie held at the Strand Cafe in the evening, commencing ot S p.m. Extra interest will probably be provided 1-n the afternoon by a football match between teams from the A Battery and the G Battery (Hamilton). a stroug committee under the presidency of Major E. Sherson! lirlgade commander, has the arrangements in hand, and the secretary (Sergt.-Major F. C. Soar) will be glad to hear from any exmembers who have not so far received invitations. Ills address is the Drill JIalL None of the old members who remember the pleasant reunion of a year ago should have ■much difficulty In separating themselves from the modest three shillings that Is being asked for a ticket. The "Capacity iCup'l presented last year hy ex-Bombardier W. Blomfield, for competition among the four sirb-scctlons, will be presented to the winners (B sub-section) a': the "smoker." CONVINCED AT LAST. "Measures are now being taken, in cooperation with the police, which will, it is hoped, reduce the disproportion between the gross numbers registered and those actually serving. Tlie names of 2707 untraced persons who have absented themselves from training have been handed to the police ' Item from the annual report of the Genera, Officer Commanding tlie New Zealand Forces. This comment is exceedingly interesting, in view of the experience of the territorial officers during the past week or so. Defaulters, persistent dodgers and hitherto untraceable persons liable for training have been rolling up voluntarily to drill. It is gratifying to know that all that was wanted was a realisation of the imminence of war, and the necessity to "be prepared." OUR GENERAL'S FORESIGHT. In view of the steps it has been deemed advisable to take in connection with manning the forts at Auckland on a war basis this extract /from General Sir Alexander Godley s annual report was omlnlously prophetic: "I think it is very necessary and desirable that the efficiency of our defence schemes for the two principal defended ports should be practically tested. I propose, therefore, with this end in view that 56,,S 6 ,,? 0 :^ 1 de £i?, c S troops of Auckland and Wellington shall be encamped and disposed at their war stations according to the inproved schemes, aud that while they arc so encamped small mobile columns of all arms, consisting, as a rule, of a regiment of mounted rifles, a brigade or battery of artillery, and a battalion of infantry shall he encamped outside these cities and Within striking distance of them. The coast oZ fence commanders of the South Isl-in'rt „,,* brigadiers and commanders of^other nn.i« will. I trust, be able to attend tVE.I as well as their own. °Thew irtUta'KK valuable lessons to he learnt tin tnw? J last two or three days vmS? will Wjft tue sole disposal of their commander! The state of war which will then exbit Sill afford a valuable test not only ofS.TS fence of the ports, but also of th. J? K.,rt of the columns Thich\rW^ c £%£^i.*-'

THE FRENCH ABJJP*. If the two years' system of service had been retained in the French Army the peace strength must have remained at 570,000 men. By the three-year system It is possible to bring np the peace strength to 700,000, in addition to the 48,000 men in Tunis and Algiers. The covering troops can now be increased by 07,000 men. By the creation of the new 21st Corps one | more corps is added to the 2nd, Oth, 7th, and 20th Corps, and the strength of the covering army is raised from 145,000 to nearly 24.->.OOO men. The 2nd Corps takes up the position formerly held by the Cth ..Corps, whose 2nd Division watches the border from Luxemburg to Briey. whilst the 6th Corps watches from Briey to Pont-a-Monsson; then come the 20th, 21st, and 7th Corps. The 20th Corps extends from Nomeny to Badonviller, the 21st from Blamout to Gorardmir, the 7th thence to, and including, Belfort. M. Botiazct, according to the "Journal of the Royal United Service Institution," claims that the resources of soldiers in France are by no means exhausted, for there arc, he states, from 38,000 to 40,000 men available for service extra to those now called up. Other authorities put the figure at 20,000. BETTER FIT IN UNIFORMS. It has been remarked! that our lads in. Auckland now give the impression of being very much better "groomed" than was formerly the case. This is due, perhaps, to some extent to the fact that they carry themselves very much better as the result of the physical fltness that comes from their training. Neatness In dress is not foppishness (like gaudy neckties and awful socks), but Is a proper attribute of any self-respecting man. Clothes don t make the man, but they make the greater part of him that anyone ever sees. At the same time, it is also a fact that the uniforms now appear to be bnllt with a greater sense of proportion. Slop clothes on the army pattern lit a fully developed man of any given height. It now seems to be appreciated that our Territorials arc mostly slim youths, most of them as tall as they ever will be, but with a good deal of filling out yet to come. The uniforms appear to be fashioned accordingly, and the result is much more satisfactory.