OUR CITIZEN ARMY

North Otago Times, Volume C, Issue 13146, 29 August 1914, Page 1

OUR CITIZEN ARMY

KLbOUK'LS lOR 1)1,1 LNCI3 SOMY ( I\TI,KI cTLNf l'V( l,s -.lnst, now, more, than at any other periodjOl.' our liislory, it is of great interest to consider tlie genera! position find the. strength of our New Zealand army. The'foundations of I he force were only laid alioul: three years ago, hut by next year the New Zealand Territorial Force will have readied a strength of 110,000, tlie pence establishment lixed by Parliament. After that the lieserve will commence to till (says the Dominion.) When the scheme fnr-the formation of a New Zealand army is in full working order, the total number of men vill probably be close on !)!),oiHl, as.follows: Territorial Force . ;>o,ooll Reserve ~ ~ 20,000 Ueiieral Training Section under "J.". .. '.. 21|00(l

lieneial Training Section, He

serve .. j . .14,000 Kailway and Post and Tele- ' graph Corps J,OOO Total ... ~ '.. 89,000 The military forces are organised for war into a lield army ami its reserves, c6ast defence troops, and lincs-of-com-nuinication troops, iHoughly, the requirements of tlie war organisation arc reckoned to be;— Odicors. Others. Field Army .1144 29,551 Uoa.st Defence troops.. ]47 ' '4,108 Communication and others „ 200 .l!, 000

Total .. .. 149,1 :■{(!,719 As near as can be estimated, SiJli9 rilling horses, 92;!!) draught horses, and 1021) pack horses would be required on mobilisation. The returns show that there are 400,000 horses in New Zealand of which 1 about 40,000 are lit for riding purposes, and 10,1100 for draught and gun work. A list of suitable vehicles with horses is kept in each district, and these may be taken under requisition. The lield artillery is.completely equipped with modern LS-pr-lield guns and 4.5 in howitzers. The latest type of gun. has beeii ordered for the mountain battery. The infantry is armed with the Lce-Fulield rille. There arc sullicieht rilles and carbines to arm the Territorial, force and its reserved, and with" few exceptions the*cadets are armed with the same type of rille as the citizen forces.: Mounted rille .regiments and, infantry battalions are equipped with machine guns and pack transport for the same., The-reserve of gun ammunition is complete for the coast defence guns in accordance recommendations of the Overseas Defence (Joininittec, For field guns the reserve is probably, complete |.iv now. There is siillicieiit war : reserve of small-arm ammunition for the field army. This class of ammunition is made in the country, and the.i'actory at Auckland is capable of doubling the ordinary output. .