DOMINION CITIZEN SOLDIERS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 569, 21 May 1913, Page 2

DOMINION CITIZEN SOLDIERS.

Notwithstanding the wide publicity given to the provisions of the Defence Act in relation to the service of the Territorials, there is still a great deal of misunderstanding prevalent with regard to the obligation imposed on the citizen soldier by the terms of the Deforce Act. For the information of the public the Acting-Minister for Defence, the Hon. H. D. Bell, has had the following statement prepared, which should make the position clear to all: —

Question. —Does provision exist for the Territorial force to be carried or ordered to go out of New Zealand, under the Defence Act and its amendments?

Answer. —No. See section 22, Defence Act. 1909, quoted hereunder. Section 2.—Any part of the Territorial force shall be liable to serve in any part of New Zealand, but no part of the Territorial force shall be carried or ordered to go out of New Zealand.

Question. —Can the New Zealand Territorial force or part thereof be compelled to go to the assistance of Great Britain or any of the Oversea Dominions or possessions in the event of an outbreak of war, under the Defence Act?

Answer. —No. Such service must be purely voluntary as in the case of New |Zealand contingents sent to Africa.

Question. —Doe 3 provision exist in the Defence Act for calling out the Territorial force for service in New Zealand in time of war? Answer. Yes. The Governor has power under sections 27, 1, 28, 1, quoted hereunder, of the Defence Act, 1909, and under the Defence Amendment Act, 1.912, sections 16 and 71, quoted hereunder, to call out for military training and service all eligible males between th«* ages of 17 and 55. who have resided in New Zealand for a period of six months. DEFENCE ACT, 1909.

Section 27, I.—All the male inhabitants of New Zealand between the ages of 17 and 55. not hereinafter exempted, who have resided in New Zealand for a period of six months are liable to be trained and serve in the militia.

Section 28, 1. —In time of war it shall be lawful for the Governor —the occasion being first communicated to Parliament, if Parliament is then sitting, or notified by Proclamation to call upon persons liable to serve in the militia to enrol in the militia, and thereupon such persons shall within the time and in the manner prescribed enrol in the militia for the prescribed period. DEFENCE AMENDMENT ACT, 1912.

Section 16.—When the Territorial force or any part there of has been called out for active service in New Zealand in accordance with the provisions of this Act in that behalf, every member of the said force or of that part thereof shall at all times while he remains under the obligation of active service be subject to military law as established by the Army Act, save eo far as that Act iB in consistent with the principal Act, or any amendment thereof, or with any regulation made thereunder. Section 71, I.—The Governor may by Proclamation coll out the Territorial force or any part thereof for active service; 2, the Territorial force, or any pait thereof, shall ,be liable to be employed on active service in New Zealand from the time of the publication of the Proclamation so calling out that force, or that part thereof, until the publication of a Proclamation notifying that the active service of that force, or of that part thereof, is no longer required. Qusetion. —Does provision exist in the Defence Act for calling out Territorials to assist the civil police in quelling riots and otherwise upholding law and order? Answer.—No such provision exists. A good deal of misconception exists aB to the number of permanent officers and non - commissioned officers employed with the citizen forces. The following statement will be of interest in this connection and will show how small is the proportion o? the permanent staff to those whom they have to train:—

Officers, exclusive of ten undergoing training in England or India, 66; noncummissioned officers, 205; total, 271. Tentorial force, 23,322; senior cadets, 22,985; attached to rifle clubs, 4078; total 51,015. This works out at one instructor, officer, or N.C.O. to every 188 men in citizen training. Permanent Force. —Eleven officers, exclusive of three undergoing training in England; 215 men. A proportion of one officer to every 29 men.