THE DEFENCE FORCES

Evening Star, Issue 21543, 16 October 1933, Page 7

THE DEFENCE FORCES

NOTES OH TRAINING I By Saji Bkowne.J MOUNTED RIFLES WEEK-END COURSE The Out ram Troop will hold a course on Labour Day week-end. It is hoped that it will be joined on this occasion by the Taieri Mouth Troop, and thus enable some good work to be carried out. ARTILLERY 12TH FIELD BATTERY At the parade hold at Central Battery on Wednesday last, a fair attendance was recorded. The unit was accorded a visit by the brigade commander, Colonel S. G. Scoullar, • ho inspected the parade. The syllabus for the evening’s training was a continuation of the driving drill, hooking in and turning out, which had been commenced the previous evening, and very satisfactory results were obtained. The usual parade will be held at Central Battery on Wednesday nest, October JB. THE OTAGO REGIMENT SHOOTING PARADE On Saturday next A Company and Headquarters Wing will parade at the rifle range to commence the annual ri/lo course. The instructional practices will he fired on that day. MACHINE GUNNERS D (M.G.) Company commenced its range work with ball ammunition on Saturday. The scores will not count towards the annual classification, but the preliminary shoots will provide good practice, which should have a marked effect when the classification practices nro fired. THE CADETS HIGH SCHOOL UNIT The senior members of the Otago Boys' High School Cadet Battalion who are eligible to nso the .303 rifle for tho annual course arc attending the rifle range on Saturday mornings to carry out their training. An effort has been made to obtain Vickers guns for tho Machine-gun Platoon to replace tho Maxims at present in nso. Up to tho present, however, the authorities have been unable to allot any of these weapons. When the guns have been obtained it is hoped to carry out indirect fire training. WEAPON TRAINING Tho weapon training course for the whole of the ax-ca has now been completed, and a decided improvement over last year’s shooting is noticeable. Judging distance will be the next course to bo carried out by the Cadets, and this will be completed by the end of tho mouth. MILITARY FILMS TO BE SHOWN ON THURSDAY

A number of motion picture films dealing with military training arc now

in the dominion, and are being circulated to the various training centres. The first of these, which shows the latest types of mechanical transport, will arrive in Dunedin ■ early this week and will he shown at tho Drill Hall on Thursday.evening, when members of all units are invited'to attend in uniform. NO PRIVATE ARMIES FINLAND BARS DIRECT ACTION Finland bars Hitlerism affid other “ direct ’ action movements’’ under a law passed by a great majority in Parliament, which forbids political parties establishing military organisations (states an exchange). Tho Cabinet insisted on adequate legislation because under the influence of imported Nazi and Fascist ideals various semi-military bodies had been formed which, it was held, threatened to create ' political disturbances and endanger democracy. Prime Minister 1 Kivimaki declared that the Cabinet was resolved to frustrate every attempt to establish a dictatorship, and Parliament, except for the extreme Right, supported the new law.

Some of the new political movements advocate excessive nationalism,, combatMarxism, Jews, 'Freemasonry, and one oven admits Communists. The new law imposes severe penalties for forming or joining such bodies, and the Cabinet emphasises the fact ‘ that the Civic Guard is sufficiently strong to maintain order. ' .