HOW IS SOLDIERING?

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1382, 7 March 1912, Page 3

HOW IS SOLDIERING?

GENERAL'S OPINION. COUNTItV'S I.OVAI, KTWI'ONfiK. .Flow goes our neiv sulilioriiij? I'roni lime to time area oiliccrs ami ollir-r- re jiort privately t;i I'rir-itds thai, iiiiiliins: could bo more promising than the nutlook for the military scheme to which (lio Dominion is now cnmmitlecl. '.I'liU opinion, which i-> somewhat {tpueral, innw eonlinneil from a higher s>llllo. Jn (lie course of oonversa!ion yeslenlay with a J)o.min"l(in representative, (ii'iicral lioilley staled that \k hml hern very plen-eil with all camps wliieh lie liinl ■" f;ir inspceled. There have lieeii five (erritorinl en nips (his year—two in Ol:i','<>, two in Auckland, and une in the Wellington district, imil he lists inspected four out of the five. In spite of the weather, which has Jiot l)cen altogether in favour of military operation?, everything has gone well. On mi average, the attendance had so far been 80 per cent., and the balance could lie accounted for, us some of Hie him had changed their places of residence, or had obtained leave to attend other enmps Inter in the year. In the country districts many of the men were employed harvesting or dairying, anfl had had no difficulty in obtaining an exemption till a later camp. In fact, in the Taranaki district, one of the camps may be postponed on this account, as the Hefence authorities do not desire that men should bo forced to leave work which has to bo done at a particular season. Harvesting comes under this category. The Spirit of the Best Young Men. As to the personnel of the forces, the General added that he was much pleased with the physique and appearance of the men. They also did their work in excellent spirit and true zeal. At AYhangarei, where the loth Xorth Regiment were encamped, a detachment of some thirty or forty men had missed the train, and had ridden some sixty miles in order to be in camp at the right time. This wns the spirit which he would like to see throughout the forces. He had observed no trace of irksome compulsion at the camps and, as it seemed to him, most of the men left with reluctance, looking forward to their nwt camp. Several employers also reported that their employees, on their return to business, had expressed appreciation of camp life, =o far as they had made acquaintance, with it. Enthusiasts—Surely. Tn the Otago and Southland districts many of the men who had been rejected as medically unfit had insisted on attending drill. The Defence Department had been rather puzzled how to deal with such enthusiasm, but. the General said that they had decided to devise some method of utilising such voluntary applicants. Prosecution of Cooke. Commenting on the prosecution of Cooke at ClirisMiurch, the General said that this young man has deliberately chosen not to conform to the law, and , ho had naturally to face, the consequence. As far as the Defence Department was concerned it was 'not their wish to persecute anyone, and that rather than it should be said that they were doing so, they would prefer that the young recalcitrant should bo released. It had been stated that, in Australia, cadets who stayed away from drill were held in detention for a period equal to that which they had missed, but the General hoped that nothing like that would happen here. As to the statement that a New Zealand detachment to Australia had "hung about Sydney for several days" all that 'he could say was that the last detachment were due to arrive last Tuesday, and were to proceed to tho College at Duntroon yesterday. Plenty of Firearms, As to the management of the various areas' the General said that, hitherto, the work had been dono bv the adjutant of the regiment, but as the extra work was too much for one man, it has been decided to appoint separate area officers, thus allowing the adjutant more time for regimental work. ■ Asked if there was any shortage of small arms for Territorials; the General repliod that practically all the Territorials had been supplied, and that there was no deficiency. On Saturday General Godley will inspect the-Garrison Artillery, "Wellington Division, at their respsctivo forts.