MILITARY TRAINING

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22359, 24 March 1938, Page 7

MILITARY TRAINING

TO THE EDITOR OV THE PRESS. Sir, —The article by “Service” in your issue of Saturday on military training, certainly explains the subject from the “Man in the Street’s” point of view. What about the territorial himself? I have seen men with four years’ service compelled to_ “slope arms by numbers” together with recreate, wVn.c'n ys> csstaialy bad. business. On the Redcliffs range, I' saw a young chap taking the five rounds of ammunition out of the clip provided because he-“did not know what the clip was for.” The officer commanding at the range was told about the matter, and replied that they “had no time to teach each man separately on the range.” After the firing, was over, all the scores, good and bad, were called out on parade, and the recruits, who were compelled to fire the same course as the trained men, were the subject of banter and ridicule all the way home. The result of the afternoon was a hurried course fired, and a number of keen boys shamed in front of their pals and determined not to go to Redcliffs again. . _ , .. I approached the senior officer of the regiment and suggested a special recruits’ course and offered a trophy as a small encouragement to the boys. This was about three years ago. and my offer appears to have been placed in the waste-paper basket. Here are my suggestions to attract men to the “terries”: (1) Increase age limit to 45. (2) Have a recruits’ course of training, and pass the men to the trained classes when efficient. (3> Have a “wet” canteen in the barracks and let the men treat their headquarters as a club. (4) Have a prize shoot every year and a “smoko” on prizegiving night. (5) Cut out the permanent* staff control of units. One or two instructors should be sufficient. (6) Issue a “dress” uniform for special occasions. (7) Issue a complete kit, in-

eluding shirts, socks, underwear, brushes, etc. (8) Encourage any fit returned men to join UP, and give the youngsters a start. (9) Voting rights for all serving territorials. With regard to suggestion three, I would like to point out to the objectors (and there will be many) that this soldier business is a man’s job, and'they should be treated as men, and not like a lot of Sunday school kids. «I could enlarge on my scheme, but I think I have taken quite enough space. May I conclude by congratulating you on the article, which I am sure would do every sane person a lot of good to read at least once week-ly.-Yours. etc., m 4 Kaikoura, March 19, 1938.