AT TAUHERINIKAU.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1031, 21 January 1911, Page 8

AT TAUHERINIKAU.

TRAINING FOR SERVICE. ' A VISIT" TO'. THE "STAFF - CAMP. [By Echelon.] , Far from thcmadcling crowd's igtioblo strife, in a sylvan retreat on tho further sido of. tho Tauherinikau Bacecourse. at Fcathcrston,' tho men who liopo some day to go. out, .north,, south, east, and west, to tako their several places In the Dominion's- jicw " warmaehine, arc training for service. 1 do not propose liero to enter upon a recital -of - tho obvious—of tho number of tents, of tho arrangement of tho camp, of tho personnel 'of tho staff, of the hundred and one other things which are essential, to :tlic. proper, organisation, of any camp, and which in .this particular camp have been carried out to the last letter with'a .thoroughness which,is an eloquent testimonial to tho fact that officer's of the Imperial, General Staff know their business.

The First Fortnight. Tho first fortnight of- tho. course at Tauherinikau has been devoted to a thorough grounding in squad drill,'rifle exercises,-and skirmishing; while, thoelementary stages of-a courso of musketry .which is to be spread over .tho two months' training '• havo also been taken. Lectures in. skirmishing, scouting, and signalling, with .practical .ex-, ercises' suitably co-ordinated' will' bo another, featuro. of.. the., continuous course. Next week's instruction'ill thoduties 'of the- area I 'officer with respect to the work.of,tho infantry and mounted corps and tho general training section will commence. All concerned, both. infantry and mounted men, '.will' ' be. expected to 'cover' "tho work'under tlieso heads. . Tho mounted -infantry work will begin with preliminary training on foot; - with'- instruction ,-in horse equipment; saddlery, etc. ' Later, tho principles of. -horseniastership will .-. bo dealt with,; and instructors in-veterin-. ary work Will be placed at tho disposal of tho Director of- Training (LieutenantCqlohel E.. S.. Heard). .Captain Hamilton, adjutant at tho camp, will : also 'cqmmenco a series of' lectures oh the duties of adjutants; /quartermasters, sejgeants-major, and quartermaster sergeants: ■

Foundations'of; Discipline. ■At this stage of the course some prqm-' incnco ought -to -Riven -'to >the high .value of tlio. worlc ■ wlnchi is.bcihg carVied out during/the two inohths' period of tho training- course.. Tho.men who are being, trained,will, if ultimately 'approved; for' appointment,' lie called upon ;to' lay tho foundation of -military efficiency in our citizen army. Some, will jbo appointed adjutants;, others will ho given positions" as sergeants-major for instructional: duties. ■... Whatever, their future' spheres of action may bo, tlicy; .must,- first- and .last, be seined of tho profound significance and overwhelming importance of discipline, using this much misunderstood' word in its widest sense. In. its narrowest; sense —in tho sense wherein the term-is too commonly • is....construed as ready obedience to command. This construction takes.. 110.. account; of -personal discipline, . social discipline, national discipline,-yet these three terms constitute'tlie most important ..assetwhich tho country's expenditure 011 defence, should' be expected ' to produce.. Military, efficiency is dependent upon it;the morale, of the nation; depentls -upon it'. ! !

| • . ■ Under. th 3 System., ; ! ; Very, we11,.-:'-th.cn. Regarding . the ■work which is- being dono ■ lierinikau. Camp from this' standpolritj ; and reflecting upon tho underlying principles ■upbn'wliich' the; scheme 'of. training is based,.ive. must freely.admit that. If the riion .at.. Tauheriiiikau- "make;, good." the .'basis of- military - efficiency should, be; securely laid, and. there-will, be established in each.centre'.of the: Dominion - .- an - influence which-'., should make for tho strengthening, of 'the_ personal stainuih -of tho nation. - -. All this, ' of, course, is conditioned by the presumption that men! ol the light' stamp havo, been ';'selected)" • and tmio' will !,bp!, .tho' t.cst' of/ that," , Tiic popular.- iniprcssiori'.-is that, these men are.being put through tho mill: or elementary principles' '.iri : recruit'-drill, progressing .by ';stages' ;,to'.Jthe higher' departments of their future 'work.''Thai, is" so, -of course, but . -the - influence r of' '.the'.system 'under - which- the ■ camp 1 ' is being conducted goes.deeper down. .To L'take; a' ; .simple illustration—the .- act of standing : at "attention": -'To- do ;this-j correctly, certain;'pqints—and- they ..' are many —must be . observed. Tho . effort' of observing all ,theso points, constantly exercised, induces an- habitual regard for the importance of .detail,, and . so unconsciously,- strengthens . the introspective "faculty.' This insistence up™ the observance of points of detail "ill every lesson of the day, whether it b practising standing at "attention," right or left turn, physical exercises, rifle exercises,..and 1 so on, , carried o*" for two months,- Bhould loavp.-its.:mark —if tho mcn righti i'i Thero is n-.'• ithing very 'new .-;ab'6ut' th;fe'' wbi-k'' they are doing.', -Most,;' if.'not all of,. them, have gone' through ,it ; . before. , Tho ■point I! wish - to emphasise ' is, that the importance for'doing these things..in tlio -right .way .is ■ being.'hammored into them, so to speak. - There is no scamping. . ' ' ; Irresponsible Critics. - And .while this .very important work 13 being well carried out .at Tauheriiiikau, a member of Parliament, lias been giving expression to strango ideas on this subject 'to his constituents, not' many miles away, ivhilo a journal in' tlio 7 neighbourhood has been publishing erroneous arid somewhat impertinent reflections upon the conduct'of tho camp. ' •.' '