OUR FORCES

North Otago Times, Volume CII, Issue 13399, 21 October 1915, Page 3

OUR FORCES

HONi JAMES ALLEN ON CON

SOMPTJON.

OPPOSITION TO LOCAL GAMPS,

.RETURN Of ; COLONEL SMYTH

DUNEDIN,! October 'I!),

The. Hon. .fames Allen, Minister of Defence, told a reporter to-day thatthe appointment of Stall! officers for tlie New Zealand liille ■Brigade'' had not yet been finally determined, but it was almost: certain tljat Colonel. Y. • S, Smyth, formerly' Ooflieer Coiniiiaydliig Otago Military District,, and later on Canterbury Military 1 District, would : bc given a ■ high command,'"ami go to the front with' the brigade. Colonel'Smyth arrived: in Auckland from London yesterday. The special tunnelling company now training at. Auckland was far above the prescribed' strength, and would -leave, for the Old Country in about six weeks with no fewer than about live months' reinforcements over strength. This meant that .men i'or the Reinforcemeats would, not be ■required for live months, The new company .would lie attached to tlie It oval Engineers—an. .honourable position—and would probab-. ly .serve in .'Europe., The Imperial, authorities had been asked to lend New Zealand seven or .nine experienced army officers, who, al-. though incapacitated for active se.ryice, would be able to. assist in training recruits, An encouraging reply had been received, 'and there was a good prospect of; sevpral military instructors coming to New Zealand.' Ou the subject of, local camps, the Minister said he did not consider jt practicable to establish local training camps, as it would be impossible to achieve, the. same measure of'efficiency which liad marked the training.of our soldiers at Trcntham. The training staff had been working throughout at its highest point of pressure,- and the supply of experienced officers for training purposes was limited. The incentive. to ,recruitiug provided by l.bcal training camps must be substituted in a different form.

Speaking at a recruiting meeting to-, day, Mr Allen said the volunteer.system had proved adequate, and he hoped it would continue to prove so. AVe must win this war, and if absolutely necessary, conscription must come, but it would never be with his wish, for lie would like to see volunteers continue to offer themselves on I lie altar of duty, The minimum age had been raised, and the minimum height lowered,' thus opening up, another field for unmarried men who had previously been barred.