MILITARY CARNIVAL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 659, 9 November 1909, Page 4

MILITARY CARNIVAL.

■ \S : ;.'-:.. '/yr palmerston.- v-v:" •i^.-V^/.^ : ;r: ; : .''" -'V;■ THE OPENING!DAT.; \: .', .; '■ y■: J^.(By TelcEraph.—Special lteportor.) f .;. ■ :.;'■'? '.""-. : '■-,' Palmorston, November S.:i;. .■ V : Since the days !of William the • Conqueror, , :■' ~ ' there have been military tournaments, trials of.'.--;'-' , ...' skill,, of physical, strength, and doughty deeds ." •, ■ .';:;■ at arms.. The competitions nre good things, for .. v> ■ competitive effort : is the mainspring, of effi-'. ; ,- ■ ciency. To annihilate and 'ibolish "the other ~: fellow" vi et. nrniis'in this or'that branch os ■'.' -- soldierly skill is the' desiro of Borne 850 com- ' j. ■; / petitors who hiivo been entered for the various :. . evonts on tho programmp iof the fourth, an- ; ' nual 'New Zealand Military Tournament and ■ ■ ;> ' Assault-at-arms which was opened at Palmers- ' ton this afternoon by his Excellency, the Gover- r.- ■■" nor. And-so Palinerston has become, as. it. i' were, a sort of Champs do Mars, and these 850 ;.-■..'-. competitors represent some 50 odd corps from '■:-. all over New Zealand, from Auckland to Dun-, i" ':'■ edin. This is a record for ,the tournament,.; .':-. which seems to bo attaining the, Btatus of.a : . ; national;military,carnival.''-.So far the. gather- ; • .. .ing. has depended for its success on'tho en- , ; thusiasm aud efforts of the local volunteer corps ■ —the Mauawatu: Mounted Rifles, tho Palmers-.... '".'.-• ton Guards, arid'the Palincrston North Rifles— i; and the results of their efforts have beeij^most, , ., ,; creditable; Next year, however, it is p'ftVable ■ '■; '-.'■ hat officers comuiandfng corps in .other cen-. :';',y, ires will be invited to co-operate in tho con- :, r duct of tho tournament.,. . ..... : ' ~-■.',, '' - v .;■; .",■: . The, Governor Arrives. Y ,: "A Punctually at 2 o'clock, his Excellency and , , . suite,'escorted by the'Manawntu Mounted. ,-v Rifles, drove into, the show grounds, ■ and were ■ r,?.received with a royal' salute by the massed. ■■:■.,. competitors, who wore drawn up in column in >>..■ . front of the grandstand. His . l&ccUcncy, was ■':'<*.' :v then '■ conducted to tho, dais . by Lieutenant-;'v.V , , , Colonel Pringlo (officer commanding the Mana-'. -V, watu Mounted Regiment). In declaring the -.'/•:',.; ournanient open, his Excellency said;that they iad.heard a great deal about the part whicli ,;... New Zealand had'played in tho-defence of the . .' Empire, .but he could not help thinking that it ..',■' was those who actually served in the.defence . ''■'■■■■; orces of the Dominion who wore entitled to the highest credit,, and it; gave .him • very great ..' , pleasureto assist by his presence at any tune- V tioukeld in .connection with the forces, and in :_; tho encouragement of those who gave lip their timo to training for the defence of their coun- , try. . ■ i■.. ' ... \- ■'' ■ . "-'. :. '' ~: ,''•■.'' Lieutenant-Colonel' Pringle' then called for ■ ; three cheers,for his Excellency, and the tour- inament commenced. - , .'..:.' ■■:■'.'■■'•.•' .'- ';.- ■■•■■ • Tho arrangement; of : tho , programme , was ■: ' altered somewhat to enable the vice-regal party ':'■■■■■■_ to witness, a- eeriea of special displays which .■:';, are to be repeated' to-day.\ A voyy fino ex- , : ,. hibition of physical drill was' given by* ■'■;'■ -/'•'. squad of' the lloyal Now Zealand Artillery :.;,, under.Major. J. E. Humo. Then followed• an ,■<,":■ attractive musical ride by. . tho Manawatu : ■' Mounted. Rilies, who, for tho occasion, carried .';■' '■'~ lances. A display of company drill was also Y given by the- Wellington Highland Eiiles, Mα- '.. - : » der -Captain M'Diarmid.' .- Tho Highlanders., •;; were in full-dress uniforms, and presented na : ■ ■.; iinnosiiig' spectacle, as they,, manoeuvred on- in ■; : ' : , fprt\t of. tho. ; stand. On tho flanks' and. rear ■'■[■' '■■;■ of.these special displays; the preliminary tests'; ...m-. of .various competitions were'also proceeded ,v, with,, and bugle calls, signalling, tent pitching, .' and. striking, Lloyd-Lindsay contests, ■ lonion- '~' ; cutting,, and so.' bn 'filled in the'.' romaiiidcr, ol".-: ,-■'. tho afternoon;" v' .\ - •' ;' v. '..■■■..■■•..■, ■•■■;■ ;'.';, ■;.'■. ;■'"■.'.■"■':' "".'- In Charge. ■;';■■■ ;'.'-., : ' : , '■ ,' : .■ ■ '..-..'■'■. This , following,is a list.of tho executive staff '■"'"' of the tournament:—Supervisor, and adjutant, j ■'•'•' Captain, H.'. H.. Brown, NiZ.M.'i supervisors, > : [ ' stewards/ 1 ' Staft^Sergeant-Mftjors- v Biirr , and , Dodd; timekeeper' and starter, Major C. Punk; . judgo of artillery ovents, Captain B. 0. Ches-'"■'..'■■' ney, 1 A.'A.G.j judge of engineoring and signal- ;' ling; Captain; J. ;B.,Duigau, N.Z.M.; ; judge of,. "■ mounted' ovents, ■ Captain TC. O, Chqsney, A.A.G.,.and Captain W. F. G. Lovin (late V , Ist. King's'. Dragoon Guards); ; ' judge' of ' infantry: events, Staff-Sergeaut-Majors H.''Pea- ,: ' : cock, W. Atwell, '~L.: P; M'Nair,, and Ti ;'■•; M'Cristellj bugle .and trumpet events, Major "'"'."■' C. D. Mackintosh; field sketching, Sergeant H. ■■':'■: ' Petersen,, R.N.Z.Al; ambulhncc competitions, ' ;, Lieutenant-Colonel ■ J., .■ U. Purdy',' surgeon.' - "■.',' major J. W. O'Brien (Commonwealth Forces), V and. Surgpon-Captain^P.,;R; Cook'; judges,and' ■'■' press steward; .Captain cpmpeti; ■ . ..v tors' steward,' Captain ■ and adjutant R.'.''■.■ Palmer; committee, ■ iLieutonant-Calonel D. , >V. Pnngle,, Captdln's". C. ;W. Peach, Mounsey, ' " j; M'Murray,. S. Jickell, "H. Palmer, Xieuten- '',',' ants A;', Batchelor,' W. G. C. Smith, E. > • .Willplighby,, 11. W.; 'Allan;.' C.. Louisson,.. G. ■- . PerstouY Sor'geaiit-Major" i J. ..Clevely,. Quarter-'."' ■'''■ . master-Sergeant J. ', Colonel-Sergeants, ,'i' E.;.Mathies6n; and E. Perrin; honorary;secre. ; ' •' E. Dovey.."', -~ ~,....'.":,;:' .:;'■:;, ''. ■'■', Under the' Searchlight* ■•,'.'■ '.V?-''s'-.i'•'■ ' About & o'clock at night—a pitch black night, ' .seme, ,iooo;,.people at ■ the"- show ', ground to witness tableaux and displays under the glare of the arc lights and searchlights installed and operated . by, tho Electric Light ' • ■.'' Corps of the .Wellington Garrison •Artillery \ Division, under Captain A. G. Humo. Unfor- ' Innately for tho complete success of the dis- * plays, ■' the; Electric.. Light, Corps ;was- handi- : .' capped by. having :to make the best'of-an • <■'■■ unsatisfactory engine, the. vagaries of. which ' resulted intlie proceedings, being enveloped in ■',■',, darkness :at the most inopportune . momenta V . Nevertheless.-tho, evening's .programme went off fairly well, the. spectators wore; in good ■>■'■: \ humour, ,ahd evinced tho greatest ■.interest in'. .' the .various scenes. ; Even "when tho lights . went out'tho..band, went on ; playing, so the '. ; darkness was; 'not altogether too 'depressing.- ' ' There, were three very striking'tableaux.,. Tb? : 'first was a representation p/ pic- ' : -' ture ; of:' iNapoleon, and ■'• tint sleepiug; eentfy; ■ ' : ■'■■'■ where the Emperor surprises &e sentinel '"• while asleep,■' takes his ■ musket, arid mounts ■■' guard. Then , follows ■ the .tragic; awakening, ■.■-.■■■. the summoning of the guard, and the sum-•■'.'■■' mary exebutiou of the delinquent." It- is a! ■'..}' fine legend; splendid for show purposes .but - unfortunately, liko a', good deal' more of our ' ' " history "',it purports to tell a stbry of which ■ no authentic record con bD, found. It is a •. fable ';Which ;, is' somotiraes ■■'" saddled "on' poor .•■■'.' Napoleon,' 'and.. sometimes 'on 'Frederick,. the .'.'.- Great, and is probably merely.-a Mcct-cStreot;' '.'.•', invontioii. However, the whole.scene was ad- ■ mirably'depicted, though hardly 60 well illu-.'■■.-minated as might ■ have bceu tho : case. The '; second tableau was ; a .'representation of 'wat „ . in its grim'tcality—tho dismantled gun.pros- '~ "■ trato lioTßCSi'i iiiid dead and dying men.. The ' • third was entitled:.," Arms of tho Empire," iand-, was an' : '. imposing ,'patriotic display, ;"'■ representative, in character. The'. - , exhibition" of free gymnastics -by the Royal New Zealand , Artillery, under.. Major ' Hume, •-"■;■■•, company' drill' by the Highlanders; and the ■ ;musical ride of .the. Manawatu'Mounted Rifles, .' '. giyeu before his Excellency , in. the:afternoon,-, .were- repeated with striking effect under the . ■ .'■•' ore lights. Special mention ought , , to be uiado ; jf:Trooper Fallis's Billy—a white troop horse. , '' born of matured cunning and vory wise. 'This '■" :. ,lwrso never lost'.his. stride once,, and kept 'V;':' 'btautiful time;to; the .music. ."Billy "'■ iWasi.-v afterwards introduced to.the ;.. , tiyes and soberly shook- hands with dno.ofthora, and stamped on: the ground ,13: times fi ! to say how old.he was. . .'...■: . '.'.■!'■;■,'■..",'■.'! One of the prettiest displays of the evening was the figure; , marching Vby tho Campbell. ', ; Street School Cadets-and girls under tho di-';' ". 'rection. of Captain , C.-'H. , Warden.:" There. ;." wore-180 of them,-and they.performed various-..',;'-.evclutions very , : correctly • indeed/in spite of',' ■> ihi) fact that the :whole , ; scene ;was; now and ;.'-.' .then blotted out from'thft view, by tho failure.-:. ,1, 'of. the lights. Other :displays, were the cshiv .■ bitibn of sword exorcise'awl lance exercise' by '■'.')"■-, ■ tho Manawatu Mounted Rifles, "Winning th« . : : .Y.C.," and "Soldiers of the King," : ...,',', : Tho' competitions will be , resumed;at'7; a.m.. ■■<.■:' to : day, and will; continue until about.s, p.m.: '".'.