DEFENCE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXIV, Issue 13848, 7 September 1905, Page 9

DEFENCE.

THE ANNUAL REPORT. [From Our Cobbesfoxdext.] WELLINGTON, September 6. Tho annual report of the Defence Department was laid on tho t-abio today-. The Commandant states that important caanges have taken place in England with regard to the mine defence of pores, etc. This has now become a- naval service and it is to be earnestly hoped similar -conditions may shortly exist in New Zealand. Important recommendations regarding the coast defences of Now Zealand ha.ro been submitted, but so far no decision regarding this matter has been received. :ft is urgently required to enable tho necessary works to bo proceeded with that those ports it is decided upon to defend should bo made secure. Such works as were in progress have during tho past year made little advance and until labour other toau prison labour is employed, no change in regard to this can bo expected. Tlio Commandant has submitted proposals for the reorganisation of thiS* Permanent Force, the present state of which is capamo of improvement. These- proposals contain recommendations regardmg pay, extra duty pay, prouiitiou and other matters pertaining to the interior economy and discipline of tho force. The conditions of a trust lund to secure men a bonus on retirement are also outlined in the scheme. The Canterbury Volunteer Force is as follows: —One battery of field artillery, 7S strong; two companies garrison artillery, 181; one company engineers, 81; three battalions mounted rifles (in all fourteen companies), 719; three battalions infantry (in companies), 1082; one field hospital and bearer company, 32; eight defence cadet companies, 357 ; nine doicnce nne clubs, 197 ‘ 3 one garrison band, *-0. With regard to mounted corps, the report savs that the state of the mounted troops is, with the exception of one district, satisfactory, ana too battalion organisation is producing shooting of tho Field Artillery is not as satisfactory as it should be, and more ammunition for practice should bo supplied. The present allowance is insufficient. The batteries, on the whole, drill well. The repoi l continues:—“l again recommend that at least six horses per battery should be obtained. Batteries that have to execute their laying and drill in ton n cannot be expected to become efficient. Batteries should go into practice camps I for two days annually. This, together with extra ammunition and improved instructions, the latter of which is being arranged for, would very materialjly increase their efficiency. With rcgard to the garrison artillery Volunteers, the companies ai'q efficient. In seme tho shooting was goodwill others very good. In fire discipline and drill two serious mistakes were made by individuals, e.g., firing at the tug-hoat in Dunedin and opening the breach immediately after a misfire in Wellington, but on the whole it is very good. ; Tho ammunition was good throughout, and the material generally is in good I order. The garrison artillery Volunteers are keen and willing, and anxious to learn. Were they only to put in the obligatory drills it would be insufficient, , but "the spirit of the men induces corps ’ to very considerably exceed the stipulated number. Tho field engineering -companies at the various centres are, I with ono exception, in a very fairly efI ficient state. The corps referred to : has latterly shown signs of improvement.”

( Referring to infantry corps, the re- ' port states that in the town corps many of the men aro much youngqr than used to bo the case, and their physique in many cases is not as satis- , factory as might be desired. The shoot ing of the infantry is, on the whole, good, and the returns show an improvement on lost year. Judging distance has been made obligatory, but the necessity for more instruction in this ri apparent. There arc 3081 cadets now serving, an increase of 194 on last, year. An improvement in drill has taken place, and the arms are well cared for. Cadet battalions have been, formed , where practicable, and good results should ensue. There is a ' mounted cadet corps at Hawcra, and another is proposed in the Auckland district. The capitation of 5s is too little, and should most certainly be increased. Some corps have been obliged to disband, and the cadet movement will not develop unless increased capitation is granted. The equipment of corps is far from j complete. Every boy in New Zealand should be trained as a, cadet, and beyond this receive such training as an adult as will enable him if called upon , to play his part in the defence of the country. The future of the colony may , very well some day depend on the ability of its male population to do so. Such training, too, would hut little, if at all, interfere with their ordinary civic i vocations.

There are 107 rifle clubs in the colony, an increase of seven on last year. Tho position should be improved. With tho inadequate witaff at their disposal, officers commanding districts can exercise practically no supervision over them. Rifle clubs should receive an additional grant of ammunition.. They should fire a course of musketry each year,' perform a stated number of drills, and when local circumstances permit, ba affiliated to a Volunteer corps. The system of bolding annual training camps is not found to be quite satisfactory. In mounted rifle corps this is less the ca.se than with the infantry, but although meet mounted rifles remain in camp all day, they train during tho v,lnter months when the weather is so broken that much time is lost. With the infantry, who only sleep in camp and return to their work during the day, value for the money expended id not received. In the proposals set forth for the reorganisation of tho Volunteer force, this, together with other points, has been taken into consideration. Easter camps were held in the various districts this year. The, attendance, except in Nelson district, generally speaking, was disappointing. The lateness of the season, and tlnj bad weather immediately preceding Easter, is put forward as a reason, but cannot bo accepted as an excuse for the non-attendance of men who could, but did not, turn out. There is much to bo learnt at such concentrations. The country spends money on them, and the risk of roughing it for a few clays should not bo a deterrent. Good work was done by tho troops present at the several camps. In some cases men of corps rode one hundred miles or more to attend, and tho marching, of the infantry during tho manreuvres was very good. Tba conduct of all ranks was most satisfactory. “In future,” says tho Commandant, “I would recommend that such concentrations be held from time to time, not necessarily annually, in one or two districts, as funds are available. Better supervision could be given and a larger number of officers would be available for staff and umpire duties at such concentrations. Attendance

should he made obligatory, and if held at Easter, the Saturday should be declared a holiday for Defence purposes. In order to give proper value to manoeuvres, the 'law of trespass should be temporarily suspended so far as concerns the exercise of troops on duty, with a saving clause that whatever actual damage was done should be made good by the taxpayer.'' The Commandant . continues :—“ I have, as before remarked, submitted proposals for the reorganisation of the Permanent Force. I have also put forward a scheme for the reorganisation of the Volunteer Force, providing for a smaller but better trained force, and embodying in it proposals as regards rifle clubs and cadet corps. As I have frequently pointed out, the present Defence Force of the colony is not an organised lighting force. Whatever Defence Force is maintained efficiency must, if it is to bo of any value to the colony, bo looked fer, and to obtain this the force must bo properly organised, disciplined and equipped. The force maintained should, too, be composed of corps, the localities of which are such' that they can bo more readily concentrated for training than is at present the case. A trained staff for headquarters and each district is, as I have pointed out ever since my arrival in' New Zealand, an absolute necessity. Every successive military invention adds to the necessity for a staff, and increase of its duties. 'Without a staff the most transcendent genius cannot command troops successfully in the field, nor can they be trained in times of peace. • An advance has been made in this very important matter, and it is hoped that shortly Volunteer officers will be found to tales tip the appointments that have now been approved. The difficulty is to find suitable officers who can spare the time, but oven if a portion of their tirfife is devoted to this work, very great advantage will accrue to the Defence Forces. .The idea that a man who can shoot is a sufficiently trained man, is, I hope, exploded. The advocates of such a theory read very little - history to show that it is an erroneous one, and the present war in the East supplies an almost daily lesson on the imperative necessity of training and preparedness for war. It must be remembered, too, that when Now Zealand is • called upon to defend itself, it will be against a trained and disciplined force, and it is a pernicious fallacy to imagine that, armed inhabitants can ..war successfully oppose trained and disciplined troops. As Lord Wolseloy has said, ‘A terrible lesson awaits a nation whose soldiers find themselves opposed to equally brave but bettor trained opponents in the field of battle.’ No force m this colony will be efficient unless those who should have the executive and administrative control which should appertain to their offices are accorded it. Until this is done efficiency exist, and need not be looked for. True discipline, too, cannot exist. The scheme, for the re-organisation of the Volunteer force already referred _to woul,d be considerably more economical and produce a very much more efficient force than the existing. I fancy the. enforcement of the Militia Act would bo popular in this colony, and if the country wishes security and value for its money, it must accept either such proposals as will conduce to those ends or rnilitax'ism as part of their constitution. The regulations have been rewritten. The term of service should be reduced to one year. The majority of the men worth keeping would continue to servo beyond this, and those not worth keeping’are better away. That part of the financial branch which deals with the direct disbursements to the defence force should/ as in the Imperial service, be under the Commandant An Ordnance Department, under the Commandant, should bo formed out of the staff now at hand. Fixed rates of pay for the paid officers of the defence fore© should be laid down, and the increments that are obtainable should also be defined. In many cases, too, at present the pay of officers is hi sufficient and out of proportion compared to that received by some who are their juniors in rani;:. The extreme centralisation now existing is most detrimental to efficiency. It destroys initiative, weakens authority, and causes most injurious delay. No business or institution, civil or military, can bo expected to flourish under such a system. The maternal available in New Zealand is excellent, and I am satisfied that officers and men are most anxious that the force should become an efficient one. I would again, most strongly urge that steps should be taken to put the defence force of this country in a fit state for service. Coalitions cannot all bo foreseen, and the balance of power may be upset without warning. The question of the mastery of the Pacific is daily becoming a more momentous one. Vast interests are involved and the protection of New Zealand will not be the oitly matter England will have to consider when complications arise. The whim or interests of any party or individual should not be allowed to influence the question of national security. The risk of displeasing a few is a very small matter compared with that of disaster to a country. At present the colony is in the position of an owner who is paying a comparatively large sum for an insurance policy without having taken the steps necessax-y to render such policy secure It would bo well for the country, too, were it more generally in sympathy with its deserving Volunteer defenders.” .