DEFENCE NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 662, 12 November 1909, Page 8

DEFENCE NOTES.

p-: : i- ::; r "'''':!u^Arß\fMi^c ■>' the. ; "adequateTdefenceV- ■his: been , , a ; topic -of - the,;, day.•■••-In-tho course of the. .various-discussions, : some h'av'e throwm iud-at the' volenteers.; No» ; , 'the determining of what cpnstitutoe "adequeU, ; 'defence" involves' an-examination, oini /mjjny 7 , ■'■' complex factors, arid ■ aleo ,requifea , ;;/ derstanding of the progress and. conaibon.:ot:: the forces , since the Now Zealand Defence was created. Very well...;Hpw^many.; ■-.;'. of those who' have to ileaai: • ptiblic"opinion"on'this;question/,.know; ':■-. - of, the" subject' to ■ be: able-. to: state swfefc ';■; present; system of defence', is.madequateFi-Hw,. many, - again; are in >' a', poatipn / whother the- utmost sum xh«; country omjld, afford to spend anwially, off , defence; .whiU: meet'the cost of a' schoric' of'luuvoirc*-mili-tary training? Iβ fee mover;of toe: resoiam- .-. which was passed by the- Trades, and Übonr; Councils'' Conference i affirming'.the; heed ior,; »; : system of universal mUitary training .fpr % »ows Zealand prepared' to stand' up i and-.ttaaror, these questions? Did those who snppottodUhe resolution ■mrferstand' meant? ' Wtat is submitted -here is i'that the ;.qnestion..i>f ; 'de. fence.has up' to" to -.present been doWted'bj a , great many pooplo who . know . J about .the subject. Here,; for-lastanceris'.* • sample of what is meant: Not \yery IWS >iWQ>'; the Hon.CM. .Luke, MX.C- was; to have: said: "I. bol«*e -.that'ttare u • raine., thing wrong with o'uis t'olrinteer system-wiaot;. Wβ findiso few.men. ii the' volunteor'fbtceS'ai: •. compared ■ with the > numbers ithit -ueei .to ; :b« ; " there,V .■■: , ■■: .',. ■ V '■,! •, . *■? i^.:^:*if>ifi-. : ..-;-. If lie henouraWe-giaitieoiaiiihad^eitenriaii. , pains to look up;the statistics of;bis}Bßla©di he wonld. have discovered that, it; no; period a the. history of; this Dominion has tho ■borolSoi ; strength , .of.the-volunfeer .farce been : as; at pieserit;..nor, it might , be ,added; : . tutt ;':'■ the :ei;urasiasm of, all ranks '. been 'eo'-ikeett^ft; , .- , condition, nfEairs which: h£a stiruggW'Jlito' i existottce n ; in.;spite: of: the'' Scorohiag.! flre'y'bf " ■ criticism; of.'.tho. mest . meicflras. land.; . In Augustllast.ithore. were;.2o,67J. pf.'.all -tankefin;the, defence fotbos—record. fjsores. ; There ■ «»■ now. 21,009 odd. The ofv.nnweKal a 'good'"e'nougl' obsei-'.that:-!is freely Bxitjef'theia'.exliend tWipJ*. , ;" juatfce to tte'vokißteere, and'give creHt.'Bteala ; credit is due. Every volunteer-in-"this-X& nrinibnis enttfled to creSit,. if ■ lor w>: -ofiai. ; reason : than that he hias> giveps his :timeVwid 1 enersry tb.mlKtary training. -It'is no.'Wft. ment:to: say,' simply,■;that our; dofenoe.system :. fe'lina'deqiiate; Vhen,'-;as; a matter-,of 'faid; the .proportion of.' trained;Vinesi,|to''theV-nnmD'Mf. '■ 0f.,, thosp ,, ':'.capable'.'of' bearing.."arme.v ! J«?.v-<Jw v -:-.:- highest in; the Empire. , ,,, The whole: qiiestiojn',,;is > one;; of;: principlcH-shonld iit; be vthe.;vdptrof .'.every, young .man .to train forhis, eetrntWe '■ deferice,..or. should 'it not? '■■ Surely<'.that.can''bi, argued..wrthont casHng ..-nnjustifiable-, :reflep>; v> tions upon ■ the present ■ New Zealand Army :'of: •'' : petenoe.-." , "-^..!-,.;; , .-,-. :i':...\-'-- ■■:-■-' •'-<!:■ ■•-•yi'v , .;•.:■<;■■:.

.Army, .Qrder, issoed-recently;by .'iße Britieh ArtnyiCouncil, .promulgates'.the' foHp#. /ing instnictionsinjlace of those 6f'l9os, wWek ,are'"cancelled'accordingly;:—... •;■.•:'•/■ '. ■;•.-. '%';■'••»>!;. ''. ; . The/'General''Staff..of :'the 'imy', ? .faljs'^'i^to ':-.''■:' two principal'division's, 'vizi^-r' , :'; ■>'■ .V v ;.'^> ; v ; •r-! .(a)^Th' , e\Gen6ral ; Stafl-atthe'.W& : :onicei» : '' ■ ;■ ;;(b) iThe'/Geneiil.Staff:inl'rotottaßde-and' ' .'■'.■■, ■•.'• distriota. - ■ ■■.'•;.■■ ■ •.■■■'.-' •••'('•'•'■.V^. 4 '! ;|l '''■■'!'■■'■'■■.■■'■',•':■;' ■'■,' i The .Junctions ■ of 'the - fprmer. vese.-.to',: a'dyise : ' ; on ■■' the - strategical'--distribution :"fef: the i"Aimy,' . : ». v ßUjpervise.tfie educatipn of officers, ;and;tpe ; . training v and preparation' of the^irmy ; 'tpttvtit,' ■-: io!'::^'(fy;' , ; nkiUtata''^etiie's',' l '-6£EMfe? i «in4-;ae--. : '' fensiyei;to coUect v and-collate"nlilitaiy,;iiitelli- ; . . gence,' to'direct , the general- policyLV'in-.-'Artiiy: ! < mattere,"4iid' to;sectire.'contintitys I df' , ictl<m ; ;in i ■th , -, ■ 'Th«'l^titins''of'.'the'Vlatter-'u« : .tp''.|^e<f : sto' : ' ■ ■ ■' officers.oi:wh'pse' : stafie.thfey;afe\semiie. : i'ti'ptt-> ..' \ moting 1 military effloiencyi' especially .in'; regard'. . to ;the odu(^on'..ofi , offi(»rs^'Bßd. > TOe''; :, 'triiniii»; r ' of. th'e'trpops,-and' te'aid tliota-ihVcarrjing.o*l ."\ the.pbHiSyVpresoribod- by; thd ; Airmy , /CSuhcfl. , .. ' ■' -; view,' t^ doneril Staffwill be- drawn from the ; .officers of "thef Axnij, . who may. be considered" most 'likely, tovprpve', cajable.of .formingVa , school i. of; progresaye military, thouglit-'- ~ v . \\'.,■,''>'•.■*•■.•>. •-^^: I ';; ; i,.. vAt'vfioine, and in the >, colonies, a|>poiiitmonta. to. the. GefaerM: Staff-will:,be ,mad^e;' : ,by'./fiie Secretary"of; State- on the' recomnien(wfioii,;pf ! .: the, 1 Chief- of 'the. General. Staff. .Siich- appointments wUI be submitted'to tiie : King.ior;hie '", Majesty'sLftirproyiil, y : ,\i ;-;,;.,/•.-,;,■_',-'-:.- : -.';.;'.-. : .: In by '..■'. the'Commander-in-Ohief in India tinder Indiw Army regTilaUons. "■':■■ ... ,>.';•,".'•J'i:.';Vr*:',f. & ; ' '; "For -the efficient perforinaace of GenferalvStaff 'duties special , aptitude arid extensive aidvaiw! ipd" military knowledge are required; deluding i a'.kriowledEoof'the princinlesibf 'tration and 'maintenance' ol 'the army in; peace . arid war.' With a view' to;erisuririß^,'taie-posses* , sibn of, the' ne^essa^'militaw-kpoAledgo,'of-ficers for employment on the . General i Staff, wiJV; '. ■. [as a,rule, bo chosen from'thpse.,wh6 ha^re,graduated at the Stafi'College,;or who haver proreid? their, ability: aad qnalificatioiisf on the ,'siaff, ia 'the.field;,-:','■•■„■'. ~.. ~'.;-:; ■'■-■;;■<■■" ■.". . All,,appointments 'to the-General'.Staff .will ' be, for ■ lonr'years, eiter,/which an > officer, if J below,the ranks of Bilbstaiitivo will, return" to,.regime.rital.-.dntv' for' a.ijperipa of not less than one year. In exceptional; ca?6B; the. four yeare'.tenure.maybe, extended in.th* interests of the Eorvico,: and under similar.'oi- ' ceptibnal conditions a fresh appointment msy be made'irrespective of the time' already, soaAc upon the staffs or, in the performance' of btiiejr duties.." , ""■■," ".'•'. ' ".'k '■■''■;■ 1 ■-'-. !.'■ ; All first:appointments to:;the General,Stsfl v will be oil probatibn for tiie' first.year.'.lf;.a(.. the conclusion such probationary'juried'', aa: officer.is■retained'in his General.StaH'appoint-, ; inent,' Ilia tanuro of four.years will."include the''■;•' probationary, period, and.will tiori, to it.',- An officer .below', the '.Task.if' tenant-colonel "who does' not '.hold , av .Staff,-, ppl-. lege^certificate,..but who is 'considered by;th* : 'Chief of tho General Staff to be; specflaUy. ' ned;by;service on the:staff : ur.the'field:f6r-en>-plPymerit on the General Staff; may .;be. sent-for. .-.•■•■■■. oie'.year to the' Staff College; where' "'-- be'aamittcd without entrance examination;';. ~ ■-' In addition , to'the General.StaffappoinbnVsnii , ~. officers nteV be attached to thp Gonoral-Staff at- :.-; vhe'lWar .Office,, and occaEion'ally ;also;-atV'tto : .h'eadqu'artofs 'of. commands- arid , elsewhere. .V.'f V meritorious service, on : the General' Statt niayr be .recognised by' accoler!atedi.:pr6mo- '-'.' tion.- It •■, will -rest, with' tho QKief) of -the.Get. eral Staff, or. in'lndia the. Comniandor-. in-Chief in India, to recommerid'.officefs'pnHhis' account folr.such promotion,/whether:they, have ; , been'employed on' General.Staff' , duties•■ atvtho ; ■ War: Office, ;onin commands. arid(districts:;.,The ■ accelerated :prpinbtJon,-*iH. usually be : granted inithe : form of-aibrevetup to.the.rank ofvlie'a- ; \ nnd above.' that ■ rank. .by.' sekto-. tion ,fo'r--the :i rank'of substantiye : > coloriel.'.-.vV.A'^^'^ ■■,