NEW ZEALAND DEFENCE FORCES.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 13411, 1 May 1909, Page 10

NEW ZEALAND DEFENCE FORCES.

TO THE EDITOR OF "THE TRESS."

xSir.—Tn /t.-ur issue of to-day appears .1 !.-.:.ter .-:i;';r<Hl "H. Hobday," askLng k.-.- opinions on the important topic 01 ! •'DotcrKc.'" Wnilst holding strong views on the present noc-Soi'v c-i recruiting our,deforces up to the require! number of men physically capable of bc-ar-in;; arms thioi;ir.i a prolonged cam- ! p-'i.gn. and ni'.d'caiiy cvrt:n,r.ited to that | ontvt, C-.er- has always appeared t-o I in,. .1 <I» iilxv.it.-' .vaste of trained men t i:i t-f!ii:ir;-;i-oii with our present system. { Wo have annually a large body oi 1 n:'.'ii out cf our- forces, trained |as highly as it is possible lor men u> j hi, trained under our present system. v:!,ow military knowledge and ability l err: liv.t to the coinit.-y because we have no adequate reserve force. Many oi these a-cn ar-.- keen soldiers, hut through stress of business, fainfly tie-., ar.d other icaaons, cannot, devote tho time nc-ci-s.-viry to remain active voiuMt-.T-i. B.it would willingly give tnough time to It? op them sulficiertly traiiitd to be able to take their places in the ranks in case of war breaking out. 'Ihe necessity of having an adequate' :v«iTVe cf trained men i:> clear enough v. ith most corps, but in the ease of the Ordnance and Engineer Corps it is absolutely indispensable. From our past experience in equipping contingents, some may argue that wo can knock into shape a workuble force of militia in a fi ■-,- weeks, but it is hardly likely our friend the enemy will be good enough to held his hand; while we put our house in order. Admitting, however, that we are given a few weeks' grace and that we can raise, equip, and train otir infantry sufficiently in that time' to take th*- field, it would be an utter impossibility to train men for our Garrison «nd Field- Artillery, and for our Engineer forces, and Iwth the.se branches are most important factors in the success of any campaign. Rut if a. workable reserve for each corps ?iii-5 formed, and those reserves called <j!i'. occasionally for training, we would have ready at a moment's notio (n«t q month's; a reserve that would be of the greatest help to our active forces. Speaking as an ox-member of both the engineers and artillery, I know that there are to-day men" in Christchurch trained in those corps who would gladly join an '•active reserve," if I may use the term, and who would, with a little training annually, be of real value if called -upon. Our artillery and engineers will not escape casualties in time of war, and unless we can replace those casualties with trained men, our guns, pontoons, cable-carts, mines, etc., would soon be useless to us. An ''active reserve" of ex-volunteers would surely be more help to our standing forces than a hastily-raised, probably badly trained, ami —most surely—poorly equipped militia. To our scientific corps it would be indispensable. I believe there is at present either | a "reserve" in name, or a provision for one; but for it to be of value it must be more than in name. Lastly, there is tho business side of the question. Yearly wo spend money in training men, and yearly, when we have got. those, men trained, we lose them, and the value of the money spent in training them, for the man who is just leaving his corps is worth more to-tho country than tho man just joining. In other words, when we've Eaid for our trained man we lose im, just when he is of value to us. A good many of those leaving their corps are useless, because they joined on impulse and leave at tho first available opportunity. Still they cost the country money, and the country should | see they get their moneys worth. A good many more, however, leave because as they grow older their time is limited, but their heart i.s in the work, and they would gladly keep in active touch with it in a working reserve. These are the men we cannot afford to lose. We put our officers on the "active unattached" list, but the rank and file, the mainstay of our defences, we. let slip out of our hands. I repeat this "active reserve" is necessary, whether our forces are to be raised j compulsorily or no. Such an "active re- ! serve" could bo speedily and economically formed by, attaching each reserve corps.to its. parent corps, and the probabilities aro that such a quantity of trained men would bo available that compulsory service would not be needed. This scheme would cost the country less, would be more efficient, and much more serviceable in time of war than thp suggested battalions of compulsory cadets. The advantage of seasoned men over youths of 18 to 21 in the firing line is apparent oven to the layman .—Yours, etc., . W. W, McKINNEY. Linwood.