VOLUNTEER ITEMS.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 9941, 21 January 1898, Page 2

VOLUNTEER ITEMS.

1 v(Br Bottsxv-) J

''' «• Weekly Press and Referee. j

I must congratulate Oamaru upon the 1 suossss which Dr de Latour l_s achisved_ at Home. A. London - latter dated November lStb r ssys;~'*_»r. H. A. de Lautour has just won sr-*ery gratifying distinction. He has ' passed the War Office examination for " proficiency " in medical army work in all its branches. lhe examination took place at the Guards Hospital. Out of twelve candidates who offered themselves only six passed, the examination being of a very severe and searching character. Dc De Lautour obtained a certificate, and he is entitled to have his name in the Army Register with the letter P appended. It ia noteworthy that this is the first occasion on which such a distinction ha- been gained by a New Zealand medical oflicer. In fact, only five colonial officers have yet .won it—one from Canada, one from South Australia, one from India, one from Trinidad,._nd now one from New Zealand. Dr. De L-utour is at present studying at King's College Hospital the latest developments in bacteriology." On Saturday last Dr. De Lautour held an inspection which is referred to in the following terms by the .-London papers :—" The School of Ambulance held a full dress Sirade in the drill hall of the London, ifle Brigade? fiii Buhhill. row, when all the members of the school were present. Drawn up iv line the variety of uniforms worn by tbe Honourable Artillery Company, Middlesex Yeomanry, 3rd Middlesex Artillery, London Soattish, London Rifle Brigade, Essex Beare__QjU_lpany, Post Office Rifles, Central Londoh - Bangers, Ist and 3rd Fusiliers, &c., formed a most picturesque sight by the contrast of colour. The occasion was an inspection by Brigade Surgeon Lieutenant-C&emel de Lautour, V.D., of the New Zealand Defence Forces. Colonel de Lautour expressed his great approval of the excellent turn-put of all the members and the merit of their drill; He conoluded by offering a prize to the ' best man * in the class, which ...-will. be competed for in: December." Pnn-MCATioiis Received. The " Navy and Army Illustrated " still retains its high position as the premier illustrated aervice"]ournal, as the numbers to hand by the last mail testify. As usual the frontispiece is occupied by a prominent naval oflicer, this time Admiral Luard, K. C. B. Boats at the Boom, How a Ship is Coaled, each give scope for spirited illustrations and smart description. The officers of H.M.S.. Centurion are shown, while the typical pictures are sport on board a man-of-war, "inglestick display, a quiet smoke, and the officer of the watch; The Army section opens with an excellent engraving of the now well- ! known General Jeffreys, who has done such good work oo the Indian frontier. Cavalry and sappers in camp is a series of " live " pictures, in which the duties of the soldier are well depicted. The Madras Cavalry gives scope, for three pictures, of which Pay Day fn Camp takes the ! palm. Soldiers of the Guards' Brigade forms an excellent picture, while the j militia is represented by a number of engravings of the Royal Malta Regiment and the Antrim Artillery. The literary I articles are, Fishing in the Navy, and ' Swedish Naval Cadets, while the serial story by Bloundelle-Buuton ia brought to a close. A very pretty tail piece shewing the types of war vessels from 1213 to 1897, by Louis Johns, deserves mention. " The Battle Honours of the Services : The Gloucestershire Regiment and the Royal Sovereign " forms the fifteenth special number of the "Navy and Army Illustrated. 5 ' The histories of the regiment and the different-battleships of the name are traced the former by Captain A. C. Lovetfc, and tbe latter by Edmond Fraser. Each of these give scope for some graphic details of wonderful fights, which iB taken full advantage of. There are some thirty illustrations, and altogether the number is a very fine one. THe : "N_v*l ei|d Military Record/ is, as ustlral, "full '■'. of interesting; news. • Lord Wolseley's th'eA|lnited Club on VMuntaif*<end Compulsory Service, ~of courae takes premier position, but there .are several other articles of .equal import, ance. The fiction is again by Captain W. P. Drury, and this time he gives\us a clever story entitled Parted BraSsnun, .- The "Admiralty and Horse Guards' Gazette" for November 25th contains a powerful article-attacking Lord Wolseley for his vacillation on the Compulsory Service question." The-hfestof the'•paper is quite up to the high standard which this paper adopts, and if 4>f great interest service readers. ' The F_u>nti_r Tbibbs.* Our retirement all along the invaded parts, to our former Punjab frontieivof safety and dominance, only injured by a forward policy, would not affeoteur prestige with the tribes. They are "a^ustojnjrsd; alike to punitive expeditions and to our retirements,.once the punishment is inflicted.! They know that better articles of food; tend dress can be obtained in our-territory, where winter it propitious- and Jj-i many parts of which they possess cattle and fields. v They know-wear* immensely stronger than themselves And they -have no ambition to demonstrate the contrary. They have no cohesion Among themselves and no desire of annexation, but they believe i*x the stlsnftthof. tlwr mountains as ever proteeting'jiheir. independence.. Long may this beb'ef ft»t flt is _lone compatible with their value-as "soldiers in our army end as our allies -against foreign invasion. ' Just as the waves off the' see' 'oecesfonally dash against a shore, {without injuring it, ao may a tribe, or rathesr.afsw young bloods in it, -commit an ill jpeed on our plains, without en tailing, the of a t more than localised,. or personal punishment. Even when we were ufsuoceasful iv the objects of expeditions' agalest tribes, they have never presumsd obftttjft failures, for sD tftey really want,, as separate communities,, is. to be let alone. " A Pethffr has quite enough to dp to guard himsdl ajpihst his bam neighbour or the hostility of an adjacent tribe, to think of national" a "Forward Policy, * a "scientific or even "the subjugation of Kafirs fenerally" at *|». dictation of either the ultan of Turkey er of. the Kabul Amir. Now come tfe tribal MuUshs, who are supposed to. havir preached a "JfluV4 M or "holy war*? against the invading British Kafir or "—fidA? That any war any be " holy " in defenot. of a nation's independ? 'easesod against an invader it admitted else (S. other, than Afghan, countrisa, bat, that general impression, thi» tobtl pangs have Only occurred 1. wbanwehsje apSiMmi lied on a tribe, though, at i\ happsns Mass trs aisi not this further stimulus of JihAd offers a rally*. i ing cry or cout*ol&otv for meeting death to the attacked. *fcr the local Mullah, likt some Christian plissß, saay even lead in the rule, at this additiontolm already too heavy dutiss !■_»/ «o* orrly eefi spMtuaL parochial, and^-educational, but abb inditsnt -~ ,a >r m-?r. some - censrasL such as CfSr-l, w-ofc s-trpry M-lsfcsTV lees regenerate pm**,_?**• onrrruig of arms or the erection of *jJaB is stocUy prohibited, tor piety" and *__ng "aW, or Tmould be, auffioieut safegwde. .Indeed, J haveknown mmyrjiowTtrlDsT Mu__*r*ho»Kves and ,_boore woo_Lbe an example-to believing <liiistlins. lacy are not greedy, and their sernces **njndfm:jpr pi—sip ere, in general, unpaid, by c occa—anal presents, perhaps, of a bit: of je_thvand some food. Ais the tmd expressibh f opposed in localities where Stater servility or obedience to Gbkiß is li agiaadag to take theu-oe of the Muhama-daa " eo^iMty*' is only controlled by mligion and the traditio—i of.t»ibe^honour.j i ; <v^ ~..,%> v —_—— ;; %;'•';' ■ ' ,-.■_ —.- ;r>- f- • A* nt/net Uo+ Dr. 6. W. Id—aar's ariiclf. "The A—tr,' the FronOer- and •—• Sult_a> Few Kviiw men' knoer-ao well as Dr. Leitner tte habits as/1 cus—bis of ,t|e;fisoti»r ttibss of Jqdia, far' he.bfa|ire*iWHl *S*a,'J Hialniowipsi#lofthefr lanimace enables aii* to speak witk authority opda theeubtaS*. (uttia ths>." Aaiatfe Oawteflf «stisw"4 sac October, sbooM be wirJet/rtslV M «"—« "" ■'' "