PRO PATRIA.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 574, 31 July 1909, Page 10

PRO PATRIA.

THE DEFENCE OF NEW ZEALAND. A CITIZEN ARMY. \ .IV. Before tho mombors of tho Wellington Artillery Oflicers' Club on Monday even- ; ing last, Captain G, S, Richardson delivered an address 011 tho subject pi . universal military training, and discussed, exhaustively, tho various aspoctn • of a schomo for; tho organisation of a oitiiscn army on such lines as would accm ; to, moot the requirements and economic conditions of-New Zealand, should such. ■ a schomo ever bo dccidcd upon. ' The dotails of Captain Richardson's scJicmo : ; are being published' in a series f*ur articles, of, which. this is tho final. Tho first. three appeared in Tub Dominion of July 27j 28, and'3o respectively, i Tho Cost. • the "man in' the' street" dosires to know something of; tho probablo cost of .this citizen nrniy/It is 110 use discussing a question liko 'this if we, as a country, 1 cannot afford to put it into practice. Tho following figures may be accepted as facts, for they havo been com piled from o'xport knowledge of values, and it the estimates aro assumed to he sound; it would appn-ar that tho annual cost of a citizen army would not bo very much greater -than tho sum total which is annually expended on our present system of defence —£270,000. In arriving ,at his estimates, Captain: Richardson first discusses. tho question ,of uniforms., , ' ...

'. "Under: 1 tho suggested' scheme," ho, says, "uniforms and equipment would ho supplied by the State, instead of allowing each unit to supply its. own from its capitation allowancp as at presents This arrangement would onsTiro, ovory .man being , not only better •clothed than;.are' our. volunteers now,. but would, eliminate the multiplicity of uniforms that arc,.now to bp scon on i any' of our. parades.. Needless ;to, say, _all unnecessary gold laco and would ,i» abolished,, andsimple but serviceable uniforms only supplied. The following list.of uniform .would be all that is required-: (a) Two khaki woollen, jerseys, at 7s. 6d., 155.-; djig oap, 2s. 6:1.; two pairs of khaki drill trousers, 12s. 6d., £1 ss.';. oiio .'pair,of boots, 155.; total (a), £2 17s. 64-\.'(b) Ono service dress jackot, £I.'. ,55.; .oho service - dress trousers or pants, 17s. 6d.; one- slouch hat, 55.; one great coat, £1-ss;; one pair leggins, 7s. 6d, j total (b), - £4. Grand total,. £6 17s. Cel. . '■ ' ..The,'total cost .'for uniforms for tho first years., would '.ho':—;'. . ..

First and Scoond Line, 3(5,000 'men, at £6 17s. ,6d., £247,500. Third Lino, 11,400 raon, at £4,: £45,840;- total, .£293.340. "Tho First Lino would bo supplied .with (a) and (b), which would lw sufficient to last for their full timo'of- s-crvice in botir the First and i Second Lines. The,' Third - Lino 'would be': equipped' as. per (b): only..- ..- ' '''Adjutants would have to bo appointed for eaoli ■ battalion;. and :also an:: increased number of staff instructors, *but provision has boon made for.this- in ■ tho. estimate... of cost.' It;is calculated l that ,tho following: number of'instructors would, bo required : —• First, second, and third year,'4o; fourth year, .SO; fifth year, 60. . ' . This number, would probably bo sufficient for some .years.. It - dors not include the R.N.Z. A../.instructors, who are also provided for:ih ,tho 'pstiinatel : eost per man undor tho present-si'stcin;,, is £12 10s.; under tho proposed'system' tho cost would bo"£7. ."Tho following is tho,..estimated to Now Zealand, of a citizen army of defenco;— ■ "For.the first six years:— 1 \

1. Cost of maintenance in camp,; 10 days" per year ,per. man of First' •: i ' Lina.'and.i days per man.in Third.. ' ; .. Line', at 2s: per' diem 7 1.. — 110,,000; 2. Uniforms, approximately,- £48,000 . • for ;Second Line and ,£255,000. for . First, and Third .Lines ;' :•••■ : 305,000 3. Small arm ammunition,; for pj:ac- •• ticeVfor 4 'o'years;:f'First,;Line " OO.WO--■/7.TK^d d * SSW:': f r -f Sffl! •4. Heavy. gunVnmmunitidn,- for :profi-l ;. ticei approximately...."' ... "V. j 80,000 '5. Increased iii','i.reservo, , >, proximately i' v ... fej,.;,/ 90,000 0. Headquavters .'staff.'Y... 45,000 :.7. District'staffs ... '• .... r 123,000 8. Permanent;---, Force ,-.- Artillery, ; . in- . :. ; fiti-uctors; -Gtc:.- ;,..'' r... ..'v-. 157,501) "9. Adjutants andv'Btaff. in'structoi'9 ... • 294,000 ; 10. New rifles p ' ... ■ ■'•••' ' 135,000 11. New tqnts;; military .'stores;., and equipment ... .180,000 12. New armament ... ... ... GO,OOO 13. Construction of forts and harbour 'defences ... " "... - 30,000 14. New rifle ranges, etc. ...• .100,00(1 15.'.'Miscellaneous , ..." ...' 180,000 .Total, for first six years'.',: .... " '"Estimated-annual cost after first sixyears:— -■ -■ , ■: -r First Line .£IB,OOO, Third Line ,£12,000,.:; 30,00 ft. Uniforms '.- 57,000 Small arm: ammunition for\practice. , 48,000 How: gun ammunition. ~ . 12,000 Reserve, supply, etc. 10,090 Headquarters staff.' , ... . ... ~.8,000; District staffs ...,: . ... ...... ... 22,C0il Permanent Force of Artillery-instruc- , ~ tors ... ...' ... v .... 20,000 Adjutants and staff instructors ■' ■....' 49,000 Billes v.. \ ...- '.' 8,000 Touts, military, stores,' equipment 1 : 20,000 New armament ' 1 > ... 5,000 Forts and harbour defences ... ..." 3,000 liifle ranges ... ... ... ... ... 5,000 Miscellaneous .... ... .30,000 Total ... ... ...' ,£333,000

"The first six years would be the niost expensive owing to the, necessity of purchasing lirgo supplies, of tents,' rifles, and providing new riflo rMiges. Tho. eohome would mature in six years." Then' follows a reference to exemptions and .paymehts. 'In . Captain - Richardson's opinion, there should'bo no exemptions, except in the case of those who are physically unfit, and members ,of tho police-force, Post and Telegraph Department, teaching profession/ministers. etc. The list of exemptions, ho contends, sliould be cut down as tar . as possible. ! ; ' '. ' ■' ' . V 7. • ' Payments to members of the citizen army wouja be nil,' but no 'man' should, suffer Joss of wages through carrying out his training. The schein'e' is basedon that' principle'. . Tho Cadets. Captain Richardson concludes with some obsorvations on oadet' training.' .. Without' aiiy' to Criticise .the cadet, movement or'the-good work it is responsible for, .there is no. questioning tho-fact that it does not at preent fill up. tlio' ranks of'the defence forces, ,for ,the, difficulty'of getting recruits'is greatei; than it. was previous .to the formation of the cadet : movement. The cadet movement; to be'of any'roar value, must be"revised to introduce the, training'of recruits from 15 to 18, and be , worked ; in oolijuriction with compulsory military. service, for' very few boys would, ..if not, compelled, 'continue, military servico : after' having passed through all the cadet sta'ges., .' "If however, universal military, training were introduced, the) senior cadets should be placed under tho control of tlio military authorities,, when their training would, be properly carried'out, thus simplifying tho training of. the first line of the.. National Guard, and obviiityig the necessity, for recruits on joining the Tatter to be'put through a long , "period of . recriiit training, , in the fulfilment of which _ their daily work and business would be disorganised. If a cadet system for youths were, made compulsory, arid' the real defence force voluntary, wo would have but a very small defence force, for youths would .bo.so sick of military drill; after undergoing training from their ..school days to the age of 18, that; very few would voluntarily ' servo as sbldmrs. In Switzerland the cadet system is largely voluntary, while tlio adult forco..is compulsory.. If wo' 'attempted to invert this procedure, tho result would undoubtedly, be to the detriment of our real defeiico force.' If cadet training i? to bo the preliminary of compulsory national service it would appear advisable to organiso it into two lines, The First Lino cadets (from 15 to 18) .would parade,as follows:— -

"Physical training, discipline, and musketry would br> mftdo a more important, feature of instruction than military manoeuvres. Camps chould not bo undertaken unless earned out under tho very l;o:/t claes of officers. Youths at this ct.ige arc most impressionable, and should lw: lecturcd to on discipline, patriotism, and simplo studies from our military history. "Tho training of tho second lino cadets should not be left entirely to the schoolmaster. Ho should have, the assistance of an instructor. Cninp arc not reoommpnded. The training should be limited to about two hours per week, divided into four half-hour parades for physical drill. A miniature rifio rango i;houlcl ho installed at each school at a cost' of about £.5, for teaching musketry to .boys of the sixth standard only/ I consider that a'sound system of physical training,, carried out at the public schools, would do far more to prcparo a boy for military duties, or for tho battlo of life,'than any other form of military training, and that ; the money cxpcridcd'in supplying a large number of mere children with belts and dummy riflos would bo better spent if devoted'to a moro practical use."