THE TERRITORIALS

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 134, 7 June 1940, Page 4

THE TERRITORIALS

TWO COMPANIES

OFFER BY STUDENTS

KEEN YOUTHS

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

AUCKLAND, June 6,

- An offer by the men students at the Auckland Teachers' Training College : tp provide two companies of Territorials is at present under consideration1 by the Army Department. If the offer Is accepted it will mean the revival of the . training college unit which for many years, and specially in the days when there was little interest in defence, was the strongest in the Auckland Infantry Battalion. It was stated by the principal, Mr. D. M. Rae, that the offer was made by the students, most of whom are between 17 and 19 years old, prior to the announcement" by the Government of its intention to call up Territorials for consolidated training and to increase their numerical strength. The move was the outcome of a desire by the students to play a more active part in training and to stimulate public interest. The Students were ready to give up any of their 6wn time to military training.

One of the points raised at the meeting of students concerned the position of college teams in various sports competitions. In Rugby, for instance, the college team was in the first division of the senior grade, and if all or most Saturday afternoons were taken for military training this position undoubtedly would be lost. A suggestion was made that the team might still retain this honourable position by performing the training normally set down for Saturday on one other day of the week, but it was stated officially on behalf of the students that even if the programme of military work necessitated yielding places in sports competitions 80 per cent, of the students were prepared to do so. •