DEFENCE CAMPS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16569, 5 June 1914, Page 8

DEFENCE CAMPS.

REPORT BY GENERAL GODLEY [Per Press Association.]

WELLINGTON, June 4

The following report upon Territorial camps recently held throughout New Zealand has been furnished by Major-General Godlcy to the Hon Jas. Allen, tho Minister of Defence. . “ What are probably the most important camps ever held in New Zealand have now concluded. For the first time in the history of the citizen army all the troops in each district, with the exception of the Garrison Artillerv which camped separately, have been‘assembled in one camp, and have thus been enabled to carry out operations in which horse, foot and artillerv were combined. The camps derived verv great .added importance from the *1 act that the work done by them was seen by the Inspector-Gen-eral of the Overseas Forces, General Sir lan Hamilton, and that upon his impressions of them the report which lie is to render to tho Imperial Government and to tho dominion Government will be largely based. In each case those who were unable to attend the first camp attended a casual camp held immediately afterwards on the

same ground.’ . , , After detailing the camps visited by Sir lan Hamilton, General Godley says: “At the casual camps the_ attendance was as follows:—Otago. 520; Canterbury, 346; Nelson, 113; Wellington, 635; Auckland. 199. Only one of those (Takapau) had the good fortune to be seen by Sir lan Hamilton. Particularly good work was done by the Otago casuals.” . . The total uuinbor of Garrison Artillery seen by the Inspector-General was 564. and of tho Railway battalions and Post and Telegraph Corps 444, winch gives a total altogether of lopoi. troops inspected by him. “ In addition to the citizen army, as above/K continued General Godley, “concentrations of Cadets for inspection by Sir lan Hamilton took place as follows:— Invercargill 1030, Dunedin 1813, Omnaru 445. Timani 959, Christchurch 1683, Nelson 643. Rotorua *33, Hamilton 1070, Auckland 1712, Hastings 1226, Palmerston North 1084, Wanganui 589, New Plymouth 940, Wellington 1304, Masterton 531. Bienheim 313, making a total of Cadets inspected of 17,805. These concentrations of Cadets necessitated the boys coining in many instances from considerable distances. In many cases, where they had to stay the night arrangements for their billeting and feeding were made by the civil authorities and citizens, and the Defence Department owes a great debt of gratitude to all those who assisted in this respect. A considerable strain was put on the organisation and administration of the Department by having tho troops and Cadets assembled at practically the same time, but the organisation stood the tost, and. generally speaking, both camps and concentrations of Cadets passed off without a hitch. Special sacrifices were also demanded from employers for the same reason, but as a rule they responded ungrudgingly and allowed all their employees to be away as far as was possible. Tho Inspector-General saw every unit of the citizen armv and every Cadet company, and considering the difficulties of concentration it is satisfactory that lie should have seen so large a proportion, namelv, 36.157 of tho total strength of 51,561 of Territorials and Cadets, or over 70 per cent. “Though the camps were completed this year earlier than usual (hitherto they have always run into June), a great deal of bad weather was experienced oiving to the winter being exceptionally early, but the conduct and spirit of tho troops was as a rule excellent, and the discomforts consequent on tho wet weather were made little of by those who had to bear them.”