THE TERRITORIALS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 148, 26 June 1939, Page 6

THE TERRITORIALS.

The statement on Saturday by the Thief of the General Staff is welcome as a corrective of loose, uninformed statements made from time to time by unofficial person*. General Duigan is concerned with Unpractical difficulties of suddenly increasing the strength of the territorial army and lie says, in effect, that the increase to lb,ooo was approved by fhe defence conference, that the men are coming forward at a satisfactory rate and that the ta.-k of reorganisation is taxing the strength of the existing staff. Tt i.s not satisfactory to be told of one decision, isolated from its context, of the defence conference. If the conference thought a force of 16,000 sufficient, did it also (and did General Mackesy in h.s subsequent report) think that the force can he made efficient under the present voluntary system ? What General Duigan said about the spirit of the serving territorials will be encouraging to them, but this also should be said: If 16,000 men are obtained, and if a high proportion of them regularly attend parades and camps, will General Duigan—and the public—be content that the burden should thus be willingly borne by a few?