DEFENCE INQUIRY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17860, 5 August 1918, Page 4

DEFENCE INQUIRY.

THE COMMISSION'S REPORT

EARLY PUBLIC LMPRESSION& A "Ly tteylton Times" reporter who set out on Saturday morning to glean local views on the report of the Defence Expenditure Commission found it difficult to secure any definite expressions of'opinion, principally for tho reason that oven the condensed newspaper publications wero too big to be read and information assimilated in a cursory scan of th» morning papers. A brief survey of the repofft., however, (prompted ciihSem* who wore interviewed to say that the result was a vindication of Sir Jainos Allen's administration, and that the affairs of tho Department were in a very satisfactory state considering tho enormous demands and difficulties experienced since the Defence authorities were first called on to deal with real war conditions. In all the material points of administration it was ' considered that the country could rest easy. Minor defects were,'after all, of no serious moment. These would, no doubt, be very quickly put right. In more than one instance reference was made to recruiting and personal The suggestion niado by the Commission that the Government Statistician (Mr Malcolm Fraser) should be entrusted with the service, which would result in a saving of about 200 hands, met with support. So also did tho suggestion that, where possible, all men, irrespective of rank, employed on purely administrative work, should bo in mufti. No comments were made on leading matters, for the reascco already stated, and because the subject was considered to bo one which could only be dealt with by men trained in the service and possessing,, by their acknowledged ability, the right) to criticise. "We can rest assured that the Department has been satisfactorily administered, considering tho \abnormal conditions," stated one gentleman interviewed. "The Commission has rendered the country a exeat service. It has pointed out where improvements may be effected and at the same time has madeit clear that Sir James Allen's administration has been conducted as reasonably a 9 it was possible to expect. The public will have a greater appreciation of the .great and valued services rendered by the Defence Minister after perusing the Commission's report."

Colonel Chaffey, officer commanding the Canterbury Military District, staged during an interview that he was not prepared to say anvthing officially until he had read the full report, which at the moment ho had not received. He had, however, glanced at the condensed report in the , " Lyttelton Times," and would say straisht away that there was no doubt Sir James Allen bad come out on top. When the people of the country came to realise that since tho war had commenced thn administration had spent £40.000,000 and that after careful examination hy the Commissioners no fraud of anv kind could ho shown to have occurred, they would have to applaud the man who hnd had such terrible responsibilities placed upon his shoulders and who, witlr true bulldog tenacity, had stuck to his task and bad administered tho dispatch of an army of 100.000. or more, of splendid nebting men to 'the other end of the world, to help in tho defeat of the common enemy and to add to the glory of this little country by their doughty deeds. It would be for the principal officers of tho Dominion to meet and discuss tho ropcrt; indeed, that had already been arranged. In reply to questions put to him, Colonel Ohairev -stated that hp did not agreo with the sugaostion that men. engaged on purely administrative work should ho in mufti. His experience led him to s-iy that, tho wearing of a uniform made for gocd discipline. He admitted that some of the men ■'so eng<yied were not trained soldiers and might not present the same smart appearance as tflio wall-drill ed soldier, but it was a fact not Generally known that whenever opcortunity oocurrea there v>cp "were beineVivon instruction in drill. The main poir+i of the uniform, to bis mind, was that of discipline: and he, for ono. was not in favour of doing away with it. In regard to tho proposal to dm away with the ad-jutant-aeneral's office, Colonel Chnffey remarked that it was part of a chain of tho service, as in the Old Country.. No doubt it could he done away with after tho war. Durinf activities, however, he did not thirl: the machrnencf the service should - be interfered with.. It was no use cbniicdng horses crossing thr> stream.' Things were running smoothlv. and he was a believe; in letting well alone. ,