NEED FOR DISCIPLINE

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue LXXXVIII, 10 September 1914, Page 6

NEED FOR DISCIPLINE

WHAT LORD ROBERTS SAYS ALL-IMPORTAXT ESSENTIAL. Some exceedingly important remarks upon the necessity for discipline were uttered by Lord Roberts in England some time ago, and should be taken seriously to heart by our New Zealand soldiers who are about to proceed to the front if they are to do as well as their country expects them §to do. The remarks of Lord Roberts 'were as follow : — "Only those who have taken part in war, or have carefully studied 'tho history of, wars, can, I am pemtadod, realise loits full extent the significance of discipline as applied to war. They only can know i that it is by discipline, and by discipline^ alone, that bodies ot' men can be relied upon to work to* gether in times of great difficulty and danger, and to withstand the di&integrat' ing effect of war; for they have leaint that it is discipline alone which prevents panic seizing upon men when unforeseen circumstances arise. They only know that amongst untrained or illtrained troops panic spreads with lightning rapidity, and that when there is no sense of -discipline to be appealed to men speedily become a rabble and defeat is the inevitable result. It is dieciplino alonto which gives the soldier confidence in himself, reliance on his comrades, and belief in his oflicers. It is discipline alone which gives him the courage to face vastly superior numbers ; to continue marching, though worn out with fatigue and want of food, ready to fight again, and yet agaiu It is discipline alone that supports him under the strain of lying still for successive hours in the punishing fire zone— one of the most trying 'of tho many exacting conditions of modern warfare. It is discipline alonewhich makes the soldier obey the word of command, even under such circumstances as I have described. Clear understanding of and prompt obedience to an order become an instinct to tho properlytrained soldier, whereas the im-pertectly-trained man. when he finds, himself in an unfamiliar and trying , position, frequently misunderstands the word of command, and, when matters become acute, he does not heed or even hear it." ,