MILITARY TRAINING.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 253, 24 October 1919, Page 10

MILITARY TRAINING.

ADDRESS BY GEN. RICHARDSON « CADET SYSTEM SUPPORTED. Military matters and the lessons learned during the war formed the subject of an address by Brigadier-General G. S. Richardson, general officer in charge of administration, at the Garrison Officers' Club on Wednesday evening. Colonel J. P. Stevenson presided over a 'good attendance of members. -' General Richardson said it seemed i strange now the war was over that they I should commence to talk about war j'organisation and -war in the future, but I while nations; would not disarm and ■human nature had not been transformed the Empire would have to defend itself. He alluded to the fact that had it not been for the Navy a New Zealand expeditionary force could never have left these (shores. Every Britisher and soldier would give first place in the defence of 'the Empire to the Navy, but'it had also •to be borne in mind that the Navy withI out the Army was like a lance without I a spearhead. It was necessary that an ! army should be maintained as well as a i Navy. Up to the year 1899 every officer and soldier in this country thought chiefly <rf home defence, and tactics that were laid down were on the assumption 'that a force was invading this country. ■In 1913 it was realised that every part (of the Empire should allocate a- portion iof its forces for Empire defence to assist the Empire in time of need. If any country thought it best to sit down and only defend itself then it was in- ; viting war to its own territory. I There -was a general objection to military graining, the chief objections being that it tended to militarism, was wasteful in expenditure, and ruined the morals of the youth. He was ot the opinion that the people who talked about miliitarism did not know what it was. He called militarism that which brought everything under the military, but in a 'country like this the army was part of jthe people. He likened the wasteful expenditure to an insurance. In New Zealand it was only a small amount, and this country was not likely to be overloaded in this respect. With regard to training, it had been found thatf an intensified course produced the hest results. He would be sorry to see the cadet system stopped, and expressed the opinion that aviation would be larsrelv taken up in this country. They would have to have machine-gu n companies in | New Zealand, and the artillery should 1 1* numerically stronger and of heavier, r aire " !