DEFENCE NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 728, 29 January 1910, Page 12

DEFENCE NOTES.

•;A SV- (Br EonsLOKj A : ; -:A;v>A"

'.'■ The following is the text di'the; tel* '■:• gram which waß sent to Mr.-A..E.' Glover^M.P. (AucHand), from Sir : JosephWaid (Prime .Minister)), on the subject of-the: . local! agitation,for the .6ettingupA of-a ".' Eoyal Commission- onj.the v defence administration- of' New. Zealand:—"iWrepiyi - to your: wire, tlie,Government has.no,inr. tention of appointing a, Eoyal Cdmmisr sion for the purpose 'indicated - by, youi A I have. had no indication : of the uneasi- ' ness referred, to, .'andA.whichA.you;J6tate 'A; is : prevalent, in .the Dominioa. regatding■, the administration of defence matters,- - but. quite to: the Ijshould' be .exceedingly sorry.' to be ...responsible:; for.'', the setting up of a Eoyal Commission as ...' an outcome of the trouble that has arisen- A" in .Auckland, and which has been placed 1 before the-: publio.-.in a .very one-sided ■'. way. The general- work of the 'executive'-, officers/of;tho .Department has come.be- ■' tore., mo :in manyA- respects ~. during i'tho. ■ last, few., years/; I 'can.:, say. ■ -ffjth' confide■: ■ once that those officers, have, been .pains--' '■ taking, honest;.and energetic in the'dig-' charge of their' duties. The Government does not require the assistance of a:Eoyal'-; Commission •to administer the new D&. ,A fence: Act.—(Signed): J. AG- Ward.".'<: .-■■'";' ■",. : The .official .programme of..eventa fqr the sixth annual- prize meeting of the/ South Island Eifle Association, to be heldA at. the UedcUffs Kange, Christchurch,- on ..February. 24, 25; arid. 26 is- to hand;. The programme.' is .a..liberal:one..as-'regards . events'; and prize-money." ';~, In r a -special' A notice ~to competitors,; it'is;'announced:, that'the?, entry fee(including .-member- '■ ship) is for Matches "Nos. ; 1; 2, 3,-'and';l,i and Service Match (open to allicomersV £1 5s..'Match No. 8 (public schools) will bs fired on Thursday, Eebrnary24,.com-: ' menoing' at. 12 - o'clock: Matcna Nos. 7, " . aid .9 (defence cadets)-will be fired cm- ' Saturday; - : Februaiy-:26;' commencing -at - : 9 o'clock.■ Railway' passes up: to- IflO miles'.first-class return,' will' be; issued toi commissioned officers and presidents:' oft rifle clubs; arid .second-class return' to' all ptheriCompetitors.'. These tickets wiHi. be issued:by the officer commanding fit? : : Canterbury. District toaD- lvol« -.unteers,and 1 membersi of the'defence rifl* clubs,;also to.cadets, entering for'cadet: matches. Competitors'will finish. in .Hat ":■ to catch the boat to 'Wellington;'.iHi Sat-urday-night, February- 26. -;.-:■ ,'-;A.W?AA A'A A It is reported from India-that ine : '-tt.-:'i sue- of spectacles' to poor.- shots! has made; A a great .improvement'in the shooting. ' One third-class; shot with the aid of. spec- - tades becaine-a first-class shot;; a soldierV who .just'missed being a third-class Bhot " ended.by getting first-lass marksj a third. : '. became a first; and there, were many cases where spectacles made second-class shots •'. out of .doubtful men...; V;- ;r:,-:y;:Y-':;/.• r' ; : i.Mr.,Xatharii:has. demonstrated in are-'.' markablo'; mariner'the'■efficiency., of'-'.'s the." aeroplane", as..an- instrument;of ; <'observa-:. .. - tion..;: He. tobkAu'pAwithihim - a'kinemato- - graph;; .with. its', operator,' the. two. weigh-,:' ' .mg. nearly,;2Bat,;-and; flew,;.'ove'r: a. large'' : ;. :tact-of-.country;;, which* was --'all:taken,a»-". .; on' a. map;Aby the'machine.V Hisperforin- : : ance'.shows.'tHe'.practical uses,to, which - .the- aeroplane.may.be put/A'A'-A;;'-:; A ;"■■■:'/' '. ;.The 'B'rit&Y Army: Council has'had! Un- ; ; der-consideration,the.question.of.the re-":; ; :spprisibility:- : of.::commanding>- officers-:.': of ; ' ■ Territorial' Force '.units for'.the'.-'instruc-,': ; :tion ! ,of ; officers under 'their vcomriiand.'•' ; The council is.-,of '■■• opinion-:that• this;; re-:, ; should- be.' clearlj;: defined, "as ■■ ,: embracing all,military.education,-.ta'ordep/' .that'general :officers;,.commariding-in-chief-:. may. be able trie more easily to give in- . ■. , structidns.. : as;t6- l the-.point; at which the : .regimenta^veducatibn-.;'of' ''such officersv : Bhould;'.:be.'-'taken. 1 up'"arid:''continued by; ; 'means,of ! special,'training 'at: the various i'eburses ,'of.instruction-;formed;from' tim«> .'• to :time;in-'commands.;;. 'CZyy.j;vy:.l ■'.■;''.;.' : :-. -.For', the>. : 'useVjof: bfficera^etudyini., for: i promotion ; exaniinatioi3 a! useful, sketch;' ;".map, to.illustrate-the.Eusso-Japanese.war,: '■ has recently, been'issued, in' London. The ; brief-.history,- 'of.;, the. .campaign; contained ! oriftlie'.map; cover: is'one .of the best. re-... gives ;the V '{sOderitSori'avrapid'!glanco ,the causes of ■'• ". -the war.,arid the .progressive/'resnlts. Th*final :are .set: out\to >be•' as,fol« - : lows'r-rThe"value;.' of.■• , tun»''.'->n.Si;wißr;. , 'inv- - ;. -Jiortaicfl'.of ■'sM-iwmipandj-f importance' ol constant. reaiUries;''advantagei of the of-;-. ; fe'nsivein :war'-,: importance; of t'concealed : trenches;: the greatvvolue-of]night opera-, i-. tionsj -the -great value';of,.turning move-" i .ra'entsj : immense .'■importance'- of,; infornia- -; ;. tion,''!morale; and'rffleinre.;;;:. ' .:■'■-. ; :;:;Most',of .the-'p'rincipai/:military- authoi-;; : ities- ,ip: France fare; nijw-'pronouncing ,in,' L . favour'J.of; the %eavioi;-than-aii;: machine, ; ■ < 'arid'..tiiV6''riiay'be-.quotedi;:in General God- : ;. 'artrand->yice-Admiral;.BeßSon. '-The'-fori;/ ■*. mer- siiys i '.The; will be irivaln.; , able.for 'picketiwork:;and!Bmall.reconnais. ; 6arice3i ■ ; . -The;. development': of:V aerial -. pro- -. ;-. 'gress : 'is';pro'digi6us,,,''arid,'gTeat" and: ad-' : 'mirable results 'are to be. expected."; The' admiral thinks' that: "aeroplanes 1 attached , to a might; very well act on -, '■: the offensive. .^ln.' my .opinion,ithe aero.; , plane may" be called upon to render th* A greatest;.'servioes? ; ,to;;.ja :well in •■ ■; offensive, as-in defensive - movements.:.' It'; would' also naturally ;be;.a: most useful ■: auxiliary on the sea'front; of a,forti-;, : fled, port/'AV ; ;vV: : - feA : ; v : ; vArY'Vv.-' ; ;A' 1 # • ;it:is expected, that .this year some com-.': ; prehensive inquiry will be made with; the view of.proventing : theßlump'in suitable candidates for commissions in the; Bri-' .. tish-Armyl".'■ In 1911 .six new blocks farli infantry ;and cavalry cadets: will be avail-'' ' able'at Sandhurst, with":the prospect "of .: having an insufficient number of suitable • "cadets, to'.fill them.-;' The report - ; Army qualifying examination:in-Septem-;.; ■ ber last seems 'to -confirm'.the unfavour. ■ able:- impression which -;-haß ■ obtained 'in: ■ England with regard : to-, the; intellectual, ,: calibre of. candidates' offering for: the ser. •" \-ice.';The;statistics show-: that:one 'hun.;;: : ,-■ dred and riinety-nino Acarididates; failed,. tjipass'the examination; one hundred-:; and seventy-five failing, in the' whole-ex- .: ,:: :amiriation v and A twenty-four; in .the siri|li»;:. . subject for: which they entered; (mathe, , : matics'. I, '.hrenty-three, -and--geometrical,■; drawing, one).:-;The:percentage,of failures' • was as follows:—English' (309 candidatesX > ;• -25:06' per cent.; history; and geographj , (399 candidates],'l9.B per cent.; elementary. ■ "' mathematics -(399 candidates);- 39Jc per - •; cent.;-practical measurements-and "geo-, i metrical drawing; (400 -candidates); -22.3'; .' per cent.; mathematics;l'(Bs. candidates)," 89.il per\cent.;;science (212..candidates),■ - 30.2-.'per"' : ccnt.; French'(3Bl -candidates), A , 29.9' per cent.; .German (12 : candidatesV, ' G.C'per, cent.; Latin (187 candidates),v3lJ A ; per cent.;; Greek,(2 candidates), 50.pa?;' cent..'i\ "'■-•.'.-.•■.'•'-A : -,' '•'■•' :-"■ "i;;;;'-.A"'A:. ■: