DEFENCE NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 799, 23 April 1910, Page 12

DEFENCE NOTES.

(Br Echelon.)

Lord Lucas, British , ITnder-Secreftirj for War, when questioned by Lord Portsmouth, made the following admission . concerning the Territorial Army :—"Seven battalions of infantry have never fired a shot at an open range with a service rifle, while' there are tea other units 50 per cent, of whom have never fired in the open air. This is due to the deficiency of range accommodation." ■■■.•'•■•■ ■

During the past year, it is proposed, in addition to the ordinary annual training of the British troops in their several. commands, to hold army manoeuvres specially designed to test practically the principles governing the maintenance of an army in the field, embodied in the new field service regulations recently issued. For this purpose a complete division will be raised to its full war establishment..'lt is also proposed, by means of othei exercises, to test, the degree of effi. cieney attained by the Territorial: force with special reference to it* functions in repelling, m conjunction : Mth regular troops, attacks directed ■against coast defences. For these pur-' poses an additional sum of £100,000 has been provided.—"Aldershot Military

) Tirh h refusal of Lord Kitchener to take up the Meditejy ranean Command, the "Tunes of IncuV* says :— '.-.■••■

- If anyono thinks for a moment, the «?i JEi 0 " 1 Keener rusticating at Malta, filling in his time with petty inspections, is ludicrous. He has much bigger; ends in view. Wβ hold to our opinion that he will be tie first Chief, of-the Imperial General Stiff, and his' success in Australia shews W well qualified he is to fill that post. His name is also being vigorously canvassed for a far more exalted office under the Crown, for which his qualifications aw less evident. But whatever he does, he. will not waste his time in a second-rate ornamental office, like that in. ,the Mediterranean."" . .... ._ ' , ■'•

.A.member of the Worcestershirer Yeomanry was recently summoned for' the negligent loss of a rifle. The de- : f endant admitted that the rifle slipped' from the slings on Salisbury Plain dur.ing.a review. He noticed the riflehanging down, but he could- not stop to secure it. as his horse "was galloping, with other.horses following. When the ground was clear the corporal and he went in search of the rifle, but it could not be found. Next day another ; rifle was given to him, and he thought ;that the matter was at an end. The Bench thought that if there was any ■ blame attached to anyone it was to the.' defendant's superior, officer, and they; dismissed the summons. . ■ .'-■■ 7

The progress made -by the British Territorial Force during the past year has been very satisfactory (states the Right Hon. B. B. Haldane, British War Minister, in his recent annual report, to ' Parliament). Thanks to the admirable work • performed by the County Associations, and to-the effects' of a sound military organisation, marked improvement has been .risible in numbers, in efficiency, and in cohesion. Out of an establishment of 11 218' officers; and 301,272 non-commissioned, officers,- and men, the Territorial Force on January 1, 1910, had reached a strength of 9,701 officers and 262 036 non-commissioned . officers and men : which was an increase of 64,105 of all ranks over the strength of the force on January 1, 1909. Of the 892 units of wfliph, theiiTemtorialJil'A'rce is'"* .«&&' posedirrallrexcepftEree 1 havo ndw'eecured the strength (a minimum of 30 per, cent, of . establishment), entitling them to officiar ! "recognition.'' Eight thousand one. hundred and' eighty-ono officers and 240,056 non-commissioned officers and men attended camp' and of these 6866 officers and 163,045 other ranks attended for 15 days or over. Ihe reports of general officers commanding on the training indicate the general improvement in the ' efficiency of the force, notwithstanding the large number of recruits that attended camp

■The Ottawa correspondent of the n Moraing, Post";. Btates that in the , Unadian- House of Commons on. Thursday Colonel Hughes, President of the dominion Rifle Association, moved the adjournment of the House to protest against the action of the N.R.A in imposing conditions as to the use of the nße at.Bisley, which he characterised , as instigated by private compames to discredit,the Boss rifle. Hβ advised the Government to notify the British Government that' a team will not visit Bisley -unless the rifle' approved by the Dominion is accepted _ Sir Wilfrid Laurier, "without committing the Government; to action, agreed that there was much' force in Colonel Hughes's The general tone of the brief debato was favourable to Colonel Hughes's position; one member urging that,, inasmuch as rifles are in a transition stage, there should be freetrade , in rifles at/Bjsely. .' '■".'■■.':

It is stated that the Council ef the National Rifle Association, at a recent meeting had before it a communication from the Dominion Rifle Association oi Canada, in which it was intimated that three Ross Rifles were being sent for inspection and approval by the council No definite conclusion can be arrived at till these rifles have been submitted, but the council'trill admit for use at the forthcoming Bisley meeting any fifle which fulfils the requirement of being the adopted service arm of the Dominion. . ' ; .■■■■'■■.:■•

• General Sir Johi French recently returned to England after his extended tour of inspection of the garrisons 'and defences of Ceylon, • Singapore, and Hong-Kong. .It is no secret that the Inspector-Weneral of the British Forces was entrusted with a mission to see how far th& militarj arrangements' and requirements in the Far East could be brought into efficient co-operation with the general scheme of Imperial defence. Sir John French has,. therefore, been engaged, to some extent, in the samo services as those which occupied Lord Kitchener in Australasia. It has, says the "Times," been realised for some time that neither the military defences in the Far Eastern waters, nor tho local resources, are'in an altogether satisfactory state. Tho alterations in the strategic distribution of the naval forces of, the Empire have thrown an increased responsibility upon the local authorities in our Far Eastern possessions. Until recently this has been but indifferently understood.. It may, therefore, be accepted as certain that Sir John French during his visit has preached to the British communities with'which ho has come into contact the great principles of Imperial defence upon which he feels so strongly. If, as is to be expected from tie reports which , have".reached this country, the Inspector-General has found tb.e syistern for the defence of _ the important shipping centres in China aid the Straits Settlements inadequate, his recommendations must be of a confidential character, but with regard to the organisation of the local forces a -full list of suggestions may be expected.