HOW TO WIN THE WAR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16375, 1 November 1916, Page 8

HOW TO WIN THE WAR.

IMPORTANCE OF TRAINING.

PLENTY OF FIT MEN

MAJOR SLEEMAN'S VIEWS.

Some interesting remarks reenrdine the results that have been attained by Britain by the system of military training that is being carried out in the New Zealand reinforcement camps were made last evening in an interview by Major J. L. Sleeman, director of military training who is now on a visit to Auckland. The system that was being followed in the Dominion, he said, ensured that every man before proceeding to the front passed through a course of training that undoubtedly stood him in good stead when upon arrival in England the more advanced training in trench warfare, etc., would be given him. Of all the professions in the world, tie pointed out, that of the soldier required the best training from the fc ndation upwards. He explained the origin of trench' warfare and the essentials in the form of ample guns, munitions, and man power that were required to defeat the enemy with the least possible loss to our men. The present war had proved th'.fc the higher the standard of training and discipline the smaller was the casualty list.

Utmost Pressure Needed. Major Sleeman, when the question of the probable date of the end of the war was broached, said that a soldier should never be regarded as a prophet, and ho therefore would not dio'uss such a question. He agreed with all military authorities that we must keep up a continual stream of men eligible, well trained, and bghly disciplined, and that we must maintain our present system which had proved so excellent, to send these men to the front at stated intervals, until Germany finally realised that the game was up so far as she is concerned. As a great " bluffer," Germany had no equal, and should she imagine", by any indication whatever, that anv of the allies or their component parts are getting tired of supplying the necessary man power this would result in encouraging her to keep fighting. Of defeat she was assured, but it will require the utmost pressure to be continued without diminution, in order to crush her militarism and make her jay for what she had done.

Exhaustion of Man Power.

To some, said Major Sleeman, it might appear that all the effort and all the loss of the great offensive on the western front had achieved very little, and from the map, to those who judge results by extent of ground gained, it certainly might appear to be the case, but in the present war results could not be estimated by such means. Progression must necessarily be slow if losses were to be reduced, pnd, as German trenches had to be held by men', then our shell-fire would ceaselessly inflict heavy toll upon such men. This would result in the defeat by exhaustion of man . power rather than a war of treat advances I and rapid action. j

Confidence Justified. After reviewing the superiority in age and I stamina of J,h_e men now coming forward on ' the side of the allies as compared with the youths and old men who were being called up by Germany Major Sleeman said •— However depressing the thought of a lonzer struggle, the most pessimistic should surely not feel other than confident when lie remembers with what slight preparation the vast carefully-prepared I secret, spy-assisted German plan of cam' * paien had originally to be against I what superhuman odds the allies have had to fight during the time they were getting material, men, and guns together to compete on equal ground, and how at the present time we have men, guns, munitions, machine-guns, trench" mortars, bombs, " tanks " of not onlv equal value! but superior in all respects to anything which the German has yet produced since the war started."