MILITARY NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1425, 27 April 1912, Page 12

MILITARY NOTES.

[Edited Bt KohblomJ THE APRIL JOURNAL. SOME OP ITS FEATURES. Tho April issuo of tho "New Zealand Military Journal"—tho second number oi the new venture, by the way—contains somo interesting features. Ono readily imagines that tho editor of this publication meets his initial difficulty in finding a sufliciency of original matter for his journal, and that this difficulty may increase, rather than diminish, as timo goes on. Already, in his second number, lio seems to have met this difficulty—and recognised its gravity—for ho makes a frank appeal to his readers. "A journal cannot bo carried on in a hand-to-mouth fashion with just enough articles when it goes to press to make up tho current number," ho protests. "There should be enough in hand for the next two numbers at least. Wo hopo our readers will take tho hint, if they wish the 'New Zealand Military Journal' to bo a success." '•

editor of the "New Zealand Military Journal" has my sincere sympathy ii this, his greatest extremity. Thero is also a reference to certain correspondence from various sources anent t ho historical accuracy of Captain Eyre-Kenny's contribution (in the initial number), on tho subject of tho Maori wars. One appreciates tho extremo difficulty of estimating ami proving tho infallibility of some of tho records of these guerilla days, and realises that certain judgments upon these events must inevitably havo been matters of individual opinion. That, Captain Kenny's facts should, in two' or tlireo instances, have been challenged since they were published is not strange, nor is it Against tho credit of tho author, who, with other interested students of our pioneer warfare, will no doubt gladly welcome nn.v ovidenco which, in n manner of speaking, is brought to tho surfaeo when an industrious chronicler disturbs tho pool. Tho editor's prefaco further includes a summary, all too brief, of tho various training camps held to date. Apropos, a contribution from Gunner l!°ss, at the Wellington City Battery,, should giyo « lead to future contributions. His interesting sketch of tho Artillery lingado camp hel <lat Oringi is worthy of noto as boing an account,of tho first of tho training camps under tho now system. J subject matter of tho article is bright and conversational in style, anu quito coinmendablo on tho whole. An obituary notice and photograph ot tho lato Lieutenant-Colonel Hawkins, Y.D., N.Z.S.C., Oftccr Commaud in? the Canterbury Military District, is given first piaco in joviriuil. Professedly, and qtuto opportunely, theio is introduced to tho reader some verses (to tho editor of tho "Journal ) bj an unknown writer, on lho > •> of tho Navy, which, beiut 11 lerprctcd, servo to. ttwm » ami sundry that i». only one wherein to "mako good, and that is tj "playing tho game." It is hazarded that the 'unknown versifier may bo Kipling, and (ho character of the verse gives some support to tho •suggestion. Captain A. A. Grace, N.G.F.A., contribute oi note on "Napoleon's Campaign of ISI3 JN. J.. Our friend Napoleon has boon ra.he> I<mo to death, but no mattei--nnd also an interesting and debatable surges ion o I ho subject of ranging shells ill lalil ailtlleij "cnpUiin Eyre-Kcnny (rotirwi «<*> tinnes his interesting sketches of past > 1 '" iicers commanding the Now Zealand • and also, in an item contnhutid to the "Miscellanea" department. note" Hint ' versal service is 110 now departure 111 New Zealand. "The Militia Ordinances a.m Acts 111 force in Noav Zealand 1 10111 almost the birth of the colony, and >:p to and inclusive of tho year IbSo, lie sa\s, "were very stringent, ami were vigorously enforced 111 time of wnr or threatened war. For instance, the Militia Act 0! 1801 No. 3-1, Section G, provided, liltei alia, that 'every man' (subject to exertions) between tho 'ages ot ■ sixteen and fiftv," who resides in the colony, is liable to Verve in tho militia.' '.Lho exceptions wcro extremely limited in number, 111eluding tho Supremo Court judges, mem. bors of the colonial and provincial Legislature, clergymen. ami infirm persons; merchants, lawyers, shopkeepers, doctors literally everyone had lo serve, the doctors lieiiiL' utilised a« surgeons. When the war of lB(i:i in Auckland broke out. everyone between sixteen and fifty was compelled to i-ervo; coimrcnienlly 110 substitutes could U obtained, 'ilia men between

forty-five and fifty were oxempted from service at tho frout, Lilt had to do garrison duty. These heroes were irreverently styled 'the lying-in pickot.* As reinforcements gradually arrived (tho Urd, 50th, and (itSth lrom India), and as the four Waikato militia regiments (most o. whom wore recruited in Australia) were embodied and ncramo efficient, the militia proper was reduced. All men between forty-five and fifty were struck oil' duty, and as the number of men required for service between sixteen and iony-live )«- camo less and less approved substitute could be obtained. As much as .ClflO lias been offered for a substitute, hut tho averago price was .CuO. Tho volunteers were, of course, expected lo remain on service. There was no overt discontent nnioivr the colonial forces, and very little insubordination. There was, in fact, .ess imiiurj crime anion,!: them than among tho regulars, and that ivus very little." The sc. inn diligent contributor fires a broadside of statistics, culled from various periods, in -support of a paragraph contention (under "Miscellanea"), that "great numerical superiority in numbers is useloss lo an untrained force opposed lo regular troops." Upon the text "The Armv means its officers"— i.e., as is the teacher so is tho school," or "as is the boss so is the subordinate"—Captain K. Archibald (Intelligence Officer at Auckland), discusses a well-worn subject with the best possible intentions, and his sentiments, readably expressed, should give serious thought to our young subaiternß. Captain C. F. Thornton, N.Z.S.C., contributes nil informative articlo on tho subject of "Tho Organisation of tho Now Zealand Military Forces," and there is also included in tho Journal, for reforenco purposes, a reprint, from the report of the G.0.C., on "The Conditions of Sorvico and Training of tho New Zealand Territorial Force."

A valuable item in tho new issue is tho contribution by the Director of Staff Duties (Colonel E. S. Ilcard), on tho subjocf of examination papers, and all aspiring candidates aro recommended to give tho author's subject-ma Iter their careful attention. It will pay them. Another item which catches tho oyo is the Rev. .T, L.. Dove's articlo in tho subject of "Senior Cadet Training," hi which the head of Wangaiun College discusses aims, methods in outline, methods applied, war habits, natural habits, and so on, rather interestingly. Apparently, tho editor of the Journal finds his contributor's ideas on "natural methods" rather difficult to digest. "So doubt," ho observes in a footnote to the articlo, "tho writer has had a long experience in the training of college cailot corps and similar organisations, hut wo wonder if thoso same methods would answer with the material that one will have lo deal with in senior cadet companies outside tho college and public-school organisations. It would be interesting if some of our readers would givo us their views on the subject of such an important matter as tho training of the senior cadets." One of the brightest items is Captain F. Hudson's whimsical interlude, "Soldiers and Sybarites," which ho calls a "Rhetorical March at Ease." Says he, apropos des bot'ies: "Tho question is sometimes asked, 'Is tho soldier vain?' The answer is that the soldier would bo considered vain were not the civilian vainer still. It is lo bo hoped that tho soldier may bo delivered from vanity in at least one point, and that point is boots. In this regard the ideas of tho New Zealand soldier and his English brother unfortunately coincide. Tho soldier ot Home wears ammunition boots because he is ordered. He .in his heart is ashamed of them, preferring narrow, pointed, thinsoled abominations, which ho for some reason or other calls 'squaro pushers.' Ho wears 'square pushers' (if the guardroom is not vigilant) when ho walks out, and he would wear them on parade if permitted. No amount of lecturing by grave nnd learned R.A.M.C. colonels, no amount of suffering on tho march, will really convince tho private soldier that square-pushing boots aro a mistake. They mako his feet appear small, and give a neat finish to his extremities. For Iho good of the service it lies with some Beau Brunimel of the barrack-room to make ammunition boots fashionable with the rank and file. As a rule, the boots in which the New Zoalnnd soldier' parades are much tho same—that is to say 'square pushers.' They aro always neat enough nnd clean enough, nnd are fancifully symmetrical; but they have no What happens to these pretty decorations, or worse still, to tho .feet inside, when their owner negotiates rough country or long stretches of metal road? Liko his comrades at Home, the New Zenland soldier has been taught this often enough. _ Still, lie buys him a new pair of boots, if possible inoro ilimsilv beautiful than ever, and regards the thick-soled seal-pattern boot dandled before his eyes at Us. 6<l. without emotion. Truly, he must often realise that there are sermons in stones; lint what about his utility on activo service?"