EASTER ENCAMPMENT.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 434, 17 February 1909, Page 9

EASTER ENCAMPMENT.

•/Sir— Our volunteer foroo in Wellington is '.admittedly, small -in number*. and only partially trained. in iiold work,. It is assumed that, our force, ih the event of: a'raid, will, have, an advantageover its foes' from.its intimate of. the country to bb defended.. ":.'.-:■: ■; We. frequently hear regret expressed.; by those who:aro .in- a position to- know about these matters thatthe: opportunities ..for training the force infield- movements aio so: limited that. it is very difficult. for officers' and men to acquire a ; of tho. district a'nd.-an eye for country, ill view' of this, it - seems , surprising. that'. thoi Assistant-Adjutant General of. tho District should' have selected ;ns tho .'Bi'to for the coming Easter. manoeuvres a: district; so remote'from the defence of-.tho ; port as Wood--, ville.. Last year. Very instructive work was carried out,in the: vicinity, of Jotoisflnville. aiid officers.°«nd men undoubtedly acquired valuable knowledge of tactioal foaturcs.of country which. they; might at anyliime bo called upon to operate in. Johnsonville, • however,, by no means exhausts, the -'-variousapproaches to tho port along-which au invader or a raiding party might/choose'.to advaUco, and one .Would- have thought- that excursions to the interior \yould havohcen left until all. tho ..strategical positions within striking- distance of;tho : port had been, thoroughly tested-in actual practice. It may he; conceded that one of the advantages of operating in a district like Woodville is that fieldfiring can be ; carried out with ball ammunitiori. with comparative safety, but it would bo'easy to point out many, places '■ in our immediate line of defence in which- stioh practice could bo carried out with equal safety.—l am, etc.; -. : • ■ : ''-•'■.■■'•'':' CIVILIAN.; .', Wellington, Sobrtiiiry 13, 1009. ~.. . '