THE DEFENCE FORCES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 210, 29 May 1908, Page 4

THE DEFENCE FORCES.

DUNEDIN INDIGNANT. OFFER OF VOLUNTEERS DECLINED. COLONEL ROBIN INTERVIEWED. ■ Somo days ago a telegram from Dunedin announced tlio fact that tho Council of Defence had declined tho proffered services of a . mounted infantry corps; • 011 tho ground that such was hot required. This action has caused considerable surpriso and indignation in Dunedin, and, 011 the face of it, -is somewhat difficult to understand. Yesterday, a ropresontatiye of. Tnr, Dominion,' in course of'a conversation with Colonel"A. "VV. Robin, C.8.,' Chief of tho General Staff, referred to tho' matter, and asked for a statement of the actual position.' ; , "There is no provision for, tho establishment of a 'mounted infantry corps,' " said the - Colonel.' " Theso ■ admit -that-, there is a difficulty about getting horses; their idea is to train afe infantry, and when'the timo comes. teko the. field' as mounted men. There, are' a number of infantry corps in Dunedin,; and nls9 mounted riflemen. If those men were actuated by tho true, spirit of volunteering, they would' join either the ono or the other. Tho policy of the Department is against the creation of a multiplicity of small units, as being an obstacle to efficiency." ... ■' "Wo hear a good .deal ,cf talk about lack of encouragement to Volunteers, and tho refusal of the ,authorities ,to. accept Volun-; tfears when they offer tlieir services. ' All theso cases," continued Colonel Robin, "can bo easily .explained. Somo time ago. there was a proposal in Auckland to form a naval j-e-servo. . The scheme, as suggested' to ua, (lid .not seem-to bo such as .- would, in, prac-,; tico, • produce that ' efficiencywhich would : make its adoption worth while. Tho necessary oxporionco requisite for. an efficient naval reservo cannot be gained by cruising about in .yachts. ;.'and launches,and occasionally handling tlio guns at the. forts. But, to place tho matter beyond' all doubt, wo reproposition, to tlio' British Admiralty. They replied that'the idea was a good one, provided—nbw hero is tho -poinVthat. tho men put in annually six weeks' training 011 a warship at sea. What good Would tho scheme have been otherwise? "Now look heij-o," and the Colonel crossed over to a largo wall mnp of New Zealand, which''was dotted here and there' with ioloured- and' two or threo brass papor-fastonor heads. "Ton see these brass, heads?. Theso .represent' Volunteer corps- which'-"are -situated* so' far inland as't-o bo practically useless. They, aro expensive, for the',transport; of; eqiiipf ment.jal.one >;,is ,-hcavy. There is another,' point— wp pay an instructional, staff to visit; all corps, and, if thoso remote 'companies' were allowed to increase, our travelling expenses -would- be -very, heavy. We 'had aiv . applicpip'n, tlvo. ofcljer day from somo placo) 'iwayj'bßck'.in.,.tlio,'wilds. Wo replied .that) '■.they;.wouldVboVojf 'more-service to tho coun-:; ify 1 if'>they;-formed themsolves into-a rifle- ' club; ' It's .'all a question of money and efficiency. ;We havo a number of excellent; officers and a largo proportion of tho 111011. , hro well trained —but thoro is a terrible tail,; 'a terribly long- tail." , voi u\teer orncims' exvmina--1 HONS The following Volunteer; officers in the. Wellington Military District'.-will sit for ex-, amination in theory on Juno 3 (the .'-names, of tho supervising officers aro placed in brackets): — ~ Wellington (Liout.-Colonol Dutliie). —Act-ing-Lieut.-Fred. Cha3. Hjorring, Heretaunga Mounted Rifles;. Acting-Captain • Fleming Ross, Hutt Valley Rifles; .' Hon.-Captain;. Mathoson (for certificate only), No. 3 Company ''Wellington. College Cadets; ActingCaptain, Frank Thomas Mo'orey Johnsonville Ilille Volunteers. " Mastorton (Major Cameron). —ActingCaptain, Arthur.W. Raploy, Woodville lliilo; .Volunteers;' Acting-Captain, Tracy P. Wills, Pahiatua Mounted Rifles; Acting-Lieut. Alan Archibald Cameron, Masterton Mounted Rifles. _ ~ _ - . ,• Ralmerston. North' (Major Tatura).-—Act-ing.-Lieut. Frank Pleasants, Hunterville Mounted Rifles. Wanganui (Lieut.-C'olonel Watt). —Act-ing-Lieut. and, Quartermaster Norman C. Armstrong, 2nd Battalion Wanganui llifie Volunteers; Acting-Lieut. James T. Watson, AVellington Highland Rifle Vohmteors; Act-ing-Liout. John Sommerville, Aloxandra Mounted Rifles. < . Now Plymouth (Liout.-Colonel Okey).— Acting-Major Harry N. Liardet, No. il Regiment Wellington Mounted Rifles; ActingCaptain P. and Quartermaster Frederick William Okey, 4th Battalion Wellington Rifle Volunteers; Acting-Captain Frederick . William Wilkie, Hawera lliilo Volunteers ; Act-ing-Lieut. Walter W'ilkes, Waitara Rifle Volunteers; Acting-Lieut. William Henry Beadle, Taranaki Guards Volunteers; Act-ing-Captain Felix T. Bollringer, Taranaki Rifle Volunteers. Gisborne (Captain . Beere).—Acting-Lieut. Gilbert J. Sutherland Small, Hurumua Mounted Rifles; Acting-Lieut. Hamilton (certificate only capt.), East Coast Mounted Rifles; Lieut.. Clias. H. D. Evans (captain icsrtificato only), East Coast Mounted Rifles. The examinations in- military practice which wero to have been held for officers of tho general defenco staff.; on-.'Monday .-last wero postponed, and will"-now ..he held on June 8. ' - 1 ,