TERRITORIAL ARMY

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 114, 7 February 1920, Page 5

TERRITORIAL ARMY

o - PLANS FOR THE FUTURE IMPORTANT POINTS OF POLICY Tho reorganisation of the Tentorial Army in Grout Britain u:is tho subject of a-cablegram published this 'eek. The Innd forc-es of the United Kingdom i re to be "divided into two brnnohes, the Regular Army and the Territorial Ainiy, b-otli complete nnd self-contained." The members of the Territorial Aimy t-'liich apparently is to be rccruitwl on a \chuitary basis, will enlist for three jears in "the case of (rained men and four years in tho e;ise of untrained men. -his army, like the regular inny, '••dl he available for service overseas in cape of emergency. The total war establishment of the Territorial Army i? to be 3W.000 men, but. only GO per cent, of this strength will ho recruited in the ! ist instance. The men who have completed their term of service doubtless v/ill bo drafted into a reserve. This sketch of the British scheme ought to interest New Zealand pfnple, since plans for tho reorganisation <i the defence forces of this country r.ro 1 mind to bo influenced 'by the decisions of tho War OJlioe. One of the lessons :>f the war was the desirability of improved coordination among the defence forces of tho Empire, and though there is no reason to believe that the Dominions will follow exactly tho example fet by the Mother Country, the military advisers of the oversebs Governments will not complete their recommendations "until thev know what Britain is going to do. This applies to New Zealand r-s well as to the other States of the Empire.

The future oruanisation of 'ho defence .forces of New Zealand has been the subject, of much study and inquiry by Defence Eeadnuarters already. ''. his ooes not mean that training operations under the existing scheme have leeu brought to a standstill. The Defence Act is_ still in operation, and the training of Territorial? nnd Cadets is proceeding. But the Defence Department cannot move ahead confidently until the lines cf future policy have Ikm laid down precisely, and this :s one of tho -easouY why the annual camps have been cincelled again this year. Attention is being concentrated at present on the organisation of the staff and the training of the officers and nou-conimissionod officers vho will be reouired to undertake instructional duties in the future. The question of policy has to be determined by the Government, and it does rot appear that Cabinet has yet attempted to define tho post-war organisation and strength of the New Zealand forces.

The TPemiinondatinns cf the •'overnment's inilibvy advisers have been foreshadowed. Tliey will include the :• ain-ti-iianco of the universal tra : ni"g s:-heme, tho concentration of attention largely on physical training in the cadet stage, and the improvement of the Territorial training in the light of war experience. Tliere is'n. strong body of op'nion among the higher officers in favour of periods of concentrated framing in .camp, but this, is recognised to be a matter of i.olicy, ami will not bo urged as essential. The development of an air service and of special:,'.!-, brandies is regarded r.s highly important. It is considered that tho training generally ought to be ne.ro thorough than if. was before the war, and that arms and equipment ought .to ho maintained at a very high standard. Tho_ training of officers is regarded as particularly important. - The strength of tho New Zealand Territorial Force at the end of tho military year 1913-U was about 25,000 men, and the number was increasing with the operation of tho universal training system, Tho number of senior cadets at that time was approaching 30,000. The •Territorial Force of 1911 was equivalent, on a population basis, to a Army of over 1,000,000. The war establishment of the Ten'itor'ml Army now proposed to be formed in Britain is only MS.OOQ, but for purposes of comparison it is necessary to take tho Eegular Army into occount.

The questions that havo to be decided by tho" New Zealand Government, as the basis of future Defence (reanisatioii. include the strength of the Territorial force, the. method and scope of training, tho use to be made of the big fixed camps, the creation of an air force, and the strength and composition of tho Dominion's naval force. 'I'he maintenance of tho universal training system • ppears to be regarded as assured, but. the other points of policy indicated have to receive the attention of Cabinet.