"LATE TERRITORIALS."

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20628, 29 July 1930, Page 10

"LATE TERRITORIALS."

GREAT DISSATISFACTION.

MIND OF THE CADRES.

NO VOLUNTEER NUCLEUS.

DISTRICT ECONOMIES.

\ Among oflicers and men of what should, perhaps, be called tho late territoiial force, there is a seething spirit of dissatisfaction over tho manner in which tho so-called suspension of training has been carried out.

"In the first place," said an officer. " suspension was decided by the Minister of Defence or tho Cabinet under regulations. If the effect of the decision wero only suspension possibly wo could not complain. But suspension obviously moans abolition and whero is tho authority of Parliament, or the mandate of the people to justify if '!

" It might bo argued that there is no proof of an intention to abolish tho force and the system. To that I reply, why arc arms and uniforms being called in . Why are tho leases of buildings used as drill balls being cancelled? Iho uniforms aro to be sent to Ircntham. Why has organisation been wiped out ! Cadres aro to be retained if the officers and noncommissioned officers aro willing to remain, but what of tho ranks ? Tho Vanished Division.

" In one month tlio men who arc discharged will be simply names on rolls. In a year most of them will bo boyond training age, and if the system wero to bo set in motion again registration would have to start all over again and it would bo fully another year before units could commence training. And then tlicy would virtually bo new units for the continuity which the system brings about would have been broken and each unit would simply bo a mob of recruits. i It is ridiculous to suggest that this order for suspension means anything but abolition, seeing that it has been accompanied by what might be called vital disposal arrangements. " To this day the whole plan has not been officially announced. Only through tho publicity given to it by tlio New Zealand Herald does tho public know it oil. Why this official secrecy ? Ono knows of the political expedient of 'feeling tho pulse' of tho country, hut that cannot bo the purpose seeing tho wreck has been wrought in tho meantime. It has been suggested that private lobbying has shown a majority in Parliament in favour of continuing the system. Can it bo that tho Government knowing this determined to abolish the system before tho abolition of the law?" No Volunteer Nucleus.

Although numbers of tho men of certain units have expressed a willingness to continue service, it is emphatically the opinion of all authorities consulted that there is no intention in the minds of these people of funning tho nucleus of a volunteer force. The common attitude of tho trainees concerned is that they will continue with the cadres only in the hope that by next year the suspension will bo lifted and the system resumed. Possibly tho technical units could live under a volunteer system because of the special interest attaching to tho training, but there is not the slightest ground for any belief that tho cadre basis of tho force could grow up into a volunteer organisation of any value if for no other reason than that there arc not enough days in tho week for tho average youth and young man. In England there aro certain famous volunteer units, but they have a social and athleiic sido of some significance and great facilities for attracting and holding the men. Tho average non-commissioned officer who is offering to servo for another year is doing so solely to try and savo tlio system. Tho chief argument against anything else is his fixed opinion that any system that is not uivversnl is not fair. Ono youth put it in these words at a company conference: "1 will stay in for a bit if that might help to keep tho show afloat, but if they think that I am goinp to be ono of the 'mugs' to be a volunteer and help a force that is only a pretence, they have another think coining." " All In, Or Not At All." All in, or not at all, is tho general idea and for that reason there is no significance in the. fact, that somo of the men are not rushing in their equipment. In

Auckland, as a matter of fact, the retun of equipment has been proceeding satis factorilv.

It appears that there are not supposed to bo any final parades which might, have been arranged as a means of getting all equipment back without delay. Ono made some inquiries why final parades were not ordered, but there was no response. "Perhaps they were afraid of hostile demonstrations by the men," said one man, who is sick at heart over the whole sorry, secretive business.

Ono fact that indicates departmental economy is that the Auckland district headquarters are being shifted from tho offices on the second storey of the WellesIcy Street Post Offico to rooms in the Drill Hall. There is a suggestion that another department may take over tho vacated premises. It is known, of course, that numbers of defence officials 011 the clerical side—--70 it is stated—are to bo transferred to other departments. As to that the question arises how these other departments come to have vacancies at so convenient a tiino. Disposal ol Staffs. Thero is a rumour to tho effect that district staffs will be cut down to three or four officers and tho rest sent to Trentham. If so how will tho cadres survive ? Possibly tho idea is to use tho junior officers and instructors in "brigade" camps, but it ' can be accepted as a certainly that the average non commiiisioned officer remaining in a cadre has no desire to attend camps of such brigades. Ho wants unit organisation only, and only then as a makeshift for n brief time.

Another rumour is that the staff is to bo reduced by more than transfers of clerks to other departments—that officers within two or three years of the retiring ago will be retired at once and that the department will pay their superannuation for the remainder of their term to enable them to qualify for their expected pension.

However, there is little purpose in theorising with only rumour as a guide. Tho fact is that the territorial system has been suspended in circumstances that strongly suggest abolition without Parliamentary authority, and that, although a sketchy scheme of cadre training is proposed, there is now no scheme at all. No commanding officer has the slightest idea of what a cadre is to bo when once ho is assured of one. Training has ceased and whatever enthusiasm officers arid non-commissioned officers nmy have had left is vanishing. They have not even been thanked for past services. They have not evon been given an indication of how tho Goveri.ment thinks theii future services can best be applied The} feel they are the victims ol muddle and* military ignorance and the nam. already done is incalculable. The last thing that could arise from the wreckage is a voluritcor force.