DEFENCE STAFF.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 18144, 9 July 1919, Page 6

DEFENCE STAFF.

IMPORTANT CHANGES.

[Pbb Press Association.] „ WELLINGTON, July 8Considerable interest is being evinced regarding the forthcoming changes in, the Defence staff. The ordinary training of Territorials and Senior Cadets having been interrupted on account of tho war, it has become urgently necessary to complete the former establishment of officers and n.c.o.’s, so. that tho training of New Zealand’s citizen army may be fully resumed by the beginning of next year. In order to do this, the services of many officers and n.c.o.’s are required, and as it iB preferred that these, as far as possible, should be returned soldiers, it is expected that while a few temporary appointments to the staff corps may now be made, the whole of the applications will not be determined until after demobilisation is completed, when all will go before a special Board of Selection. It is reported that it has been laid down that the officers commanding the four military districts shall be men with modern war experience, and that, in pursuance of tais, Brigadier-Generals Melville and Young, uow in England, have been cabled for, to take the commands in the Wellington and Canterbury districts respectively-. Colonel Potter will remain temporarily in command of the Auckland district, whilo Lieutenant-Colonel MacDonald, now temporarily commanding the Wellington* district, will assume temporary command of the Otago district.