DEFENCE AND SPORT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15025, 21 June 1912, Page 5

DEFENCE AND SPORT.

ARRANGING PARADE DATES. [BY TKLEGIIAPiT .—PRESS ASSOCIATION.] Wellington, Thursday. . At the meetings of the Managing Committers of the Wellington Football Association and Rugby Union last night a letter was received from Lieut.-Col. Turner, officer commanding the Fifth (Wellington) Regiment, stating that as all territorials nro required to parade on a Sited number of afternoons during the year the officers Commanding units of the local garrison propose to arrange these fixtures so as to interfere as little as possible with sportTo this end a small committee of senior officers had been formed to meet representatives of the various sports bodies, and this committee invited the attendance 6f representatives of the footballers on Juno 26, when tho dates for parades will be mutually discussed and definitely fixed. Mr. H. McKeowen will represent the Football Association and Mr. E. 0. Hales the Rugby Union. The Minister for Defence (Eon. A. M. Myers), who is an old athlete, and who continues to take a keen interest in sport, was waited on by a reporter this morning in reference to the matter. Mr. Myers made it quite clear that duty must come first. At the same time he realised the hold that sport had on national life and its value in helping to build up robust men, both mentally and physically. General Godley, he knew, was doing everything lie could to arrange parades in future on suitable dates, giving as much notice as possible so as to interfere as little as might, be with football and other branches of sport. The Minister added that knowing full well how sympathetic all sporting enthusiasts were to the universal training scheme he himself had no doubt that if both sides approached the matter with an earnest desire to arrive at a conclusion which would prove mutually satisfactory, there need be no misgiving as to the result. The excellent example already iset by sportsmen in the chief centres in this connection showed conclusively that no serious conflict between the claims of the devotees of sport and military training need be feared.