DEFENCE NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 478, 10 April 1909, Page 12

DEFENCE NOTES.

(Br Echelon.) INFANTRY TRAINING. " How to make the Training of an Infantry Company more interesting and effective in tho Tirno at present at itß 1 Disposal during Evening and Daylight j Parades."—By Captain G. S. Richardson, Chief Instructor of Artillery. In this week's " notes" Captain Richardson's ' observations on tho training of tho i young officer on joining are continued: — r Elementary Field Engineering. 1 " The infantry volunteer officer is apt t< - neglect this subject, considering it as 0)l< j special to tho engineering branch. As th< r latter, however, would bo fully engaged ii [ war in duties such as communications, demolitions, etc., it is essential that every office] should thoroughly understand this subject, £ very great deal of which can be taught in fch< lecture-room by modelling in sand, etc., cvorj officer being instructed to model such ini tre-rickmonts as ho is likely to bo called upor ' to provide in the field. On some. Saturdaj ' afternoon it might bo arranged for officers t< ' be taken out into the country and a practical scheme of field engineering worked out on the ! ground in conjunction with a ficld-firinj! 1 scheme. This scheme need not take up a 10l of time for digging. What officers most re- ' quire is to taught tho necessity for tracing entrenchments with due regard to tactical requirements. Semaphore Signalling. " Morse signalling by flag, kmp,_ and heliograph can only bo carried out efficiently by tho expert, who is in constant training, but semaphore signalling should bo understood by every soldier. It can bo learnt in a few hours, and very little practice is heeded to maintain efficiency in it. It is useful without the aid of flags up to 800 yards, and is therefore of great value to all arms for their internal communications. Officers should all bo taught semaphore signalling at the weekly lecture classes, and should bo afterwards expected to train their companies in signalling. Map-reading. "The subject of map-reading is treated very lightly by many officers, who often consider that, if thoy understand tho conventional signs, and can explain tho main features of a map, thoy aro proficient in mapreading; but this is a very elomcntary portion of tho subject. To read a may thoroughly requires a great deal of practice, and no officer should consider himself proficient in this subject until he is able to raako a panoramic sketch of a piece of country by looking at a plan only. This can bo taught in the lecture-room by making eaoh officer reproduce in model from a map any piece of country selected by tho instructor. Sketching. " Too few officers are efficient in this subject becauso at tho present time they do not get sufficient instruction. If, however, mapreading and skotching were taught concurrently in a lecture-room by means of the tactical model, the preliminary instruction they would then receive would enable them to go out alono in tho country and perfect themselves at leisure. The writer has proved practically tho truth of this assertion. So far, these suggestions have dealt \ydtli tho young officers' training limited to his weekly drill in the drill-hall, and in addition ono night per week for.lectures. If, however, this instruction could bo supplemented occasionally by officers going on to the same area of country as studied in the course of lectures, from time to time, on a Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning, in order to further elucidate and report on tho problems considered, an incalculable amount of good would result. I am aware that some officers do this now, and derive great benefit from theso country walks, which give them a clearer idea of the local defence problems, at which, needless to say, all tho instruction should aim. Annual " Refresher", Course, "With regard to tho training of company officers after thoir first year of sorvico: Apart from school of instruction classes, which should bo held at present, but which, unfortunately, as proviouslyamentioned,-. cannot provido for tho training of all officers, district classes of instruction should be held during tho winter mouths, and tbo prcsont garrison officers' club classes organised for that purpose by introducing a progressive syllabus of weekly lectures and instruction. Tin's syllabus should provido solely for tho instruction of infantry officers, except that on, say, about four nights in tho season, moro general subjects of interest should bo given to all arms. It may bo argued that this arrangement would cause neglect of officers of other branchos of tho service; but that could be overcome by tho formation of special technical classes for their respective branches, as is already carried out in sonio cases." THE IMPERIAL CENERAL STAFF. In tho course of a lengthy memorandum on tho subject of tho Imperial General Staff scheme outlined by Mr. Haldane, British Minister for War, recently, General W. G. Nicholson, G.C.8., Chief of tho British General Staff, and First _ Military Member of tho British Army Council, states (says the "Military Mail") that the General Staff organisation for tho Empiro should bo built up gradually on tho following lines ,^— (1) Tho central body having its headquarters in London, and working directly under tho Chief of tho Imporfal General Staff. , \ (2) Local sections in the United Kingdom, in each of our regular' garrisons abroad, in each self-governing Dominion, and in India these local sections, except in tho caso of tho smaller foreign garrisons, might bo subdivided into tho local headquarters and tho staff with local troops. Each section should havo a chief at its head, and it would deal with questions connected with (1) local dofenco and (2) tho training of troops on linos similar to those now followed for tho United Kingdom by tho Training Directorate at tho War Office. In tho caso of self-governing Dominions it is pointed out that full control of the- local chief by his own government must bo accepted. The best method of keeping touch botweon the central body and the local sections is discussed, and General Nicholson suggests that a personal touch may bo maintained cither by delegating selected officers from tho central body to each of tho local sections, changing them at frequent intervals, or by reversing this proccs. In summing up tho Memorandum, General Sir W. G. Nicholson says that the following soom to bo the main points requiring attention at tli© present moment:— (1) All the forces of tho Empire should be organised for war on the samo general principles, especially as regards tho system of command and Staff duties. For this purpose the formation of the Imperial General Ktaif should bo proceeded with as far as tho present available means permit. (2) Uniformity should bo ensured in the system of training officers for the General Staff by arranging for (a) Uniformity in the system of educating regimental officers, from whom selections for the Stalf colleges are made. This is to be secured by recognising the Stalf College at Camberley as the central school of military education for tho Empiro, and by filling at the outset, to such extent as may be approved by the respective Governments of the oversea Dominions, the most important instructional appointments by Camberley graduates; (b) Uniformity in tho system of selection of regimental officers for Staff collego courses; (c) Uniformity in tho entrance examinations, curriculum, syllabus, and teaching at tlio several Staff colleges. (3) Uniformity in tho carrying out of Staff duties should bo attained by encouraging graduates of tho Staff colleges who aspiro to holding tho moro important General Staff appointments to undergo a further course of training in England or. India; and by arranging for a systematic interchange of officers nf the Imperial General Staff botweon the various appointments throughout the Umpire. The system proposed above could not, (states the "Military Mail"), be carried out without a certain expenditure of money. Amongst other items of cost it should be recognised that officers who are sent for from their homes for tho benefit of the- Empire ought not to suller pecuniarily, otherwise we cannot lie sun- of obtaining tlio services of men of the right type. Hut the total cost of the system would be small in proportion to the interests at stake, and if it resulted in greatly increased efficiency—as it is believed it- would do—tho money would be wisely spent.