TRAINING TO BEAT JAPAN

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23748, 21 September 1942, Page 6

TRAINING TO BEAT JAPAN

Sir,—l heartily agree with “Home Guard’s’’ views on the subject of an overdose of parade ground training and drill and would much appreciate it if he could suggest some way of obtaining weapons of war for Home Guard training and defence. My unit, having trained conscientiously for 18 months, would be more than thrilled to set eyes on any effective war weapon—anything more powerful than .22 pearifles. We haven’t even all got boots, yet, to kick the Nips in the slats if they ever let us near enough to do so. —Yours, etc., H.G. September 18. 1942.

Sir, —As this conflict will probably continue for some few years, would it not be advisable to have the youth of to-day trained, to at least some very small degree, in the art of war? The present method of ca,det training is a farce. A certain amount of drill is desirable; but what good can be. derived from battalion ceremonial drill and such obsolete and intricate evolutions? Instructors waste hours in attending futile parades of this nature. Could not those older cadets, who are interested and who have passed the stage of "16 paces, slow march" (not forgetting to start with the right foot) have regular instruction in irregular warfare, the type of fighting which would be of most use in defending New Zealand? Would it not be more useful for a cadet to learn how to deal effectively witlj his enemy than to attempt to impress him by a display of arms drill without arms? —Yours, etc., PUER INFORMANDUS. September 18, 1942.