THE KITCHENER CAMP

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7055, 17 February 1910, Page 6

THE KITCHENER CAMP

What isortn to be very complete ar-' ,Biainigemeaits l have been made for the conocatrailtm- of troopsf :at Johnsonville in connection with ; Lord , Kitchener's visit, and the volunteers arc naturally looking with' anticipatory pleasure towards the manoeuvres' they are to make under the eye-qfibd distinguished a soldier. Tito occasion is a 'really groat one>arid will bo long remembered by those ll taking.part//’; Indeed; bo important is tins niobiilisatiqn nnd dr .ii two ■ of seminictivo service l that there is’room.'’for eotab regrot lat what appears to bobbin) inadequate departmental,recognition of its significance "and'possibilities.Expert decision in regard to such arrangements must be - given : the deference due to special knowledge, but wo cannot'xeflridinl from expressing the opinion that tho locality, chosen for carrying.! out the. proposed operations 1 has not been well selected. : This encampment will coat no little sum.lt will- involve am expenditnro of several thousands of pounds, ' and while JofmsoUville .may be suitable enough for am taldimary ftrai nJnjg camp w© take leave to dohbt it being the, sort of. plhdo where work of-the character, demanded on this occasion can-bo (performed in nl way.that rill be satisfactory to- the FieldMarshal; or in l any degree commensurate with, the outlay. / The ‘ land is broken; to'tho Verge of precipitancy, and if the troops get away Over, any.. range! of country nothing short of an aeroplane) will be required to - permit their movements being intelligently followed. It seems exceedingly quostkralable whether it is wise to mobilise a force for the personal observation of a stranger inn district where the meni must for n) great part of the time be hidden from his view. ' The results we feel assured would have been much better bad thd oentfe of mobilisation been , furtherl northward on tho Manawatu lino qf in' tho Wairarapa, where localities tfiat are topographically ideal would have formed the field of mimic war. When) U great sum of money Iras to bo spent bn a one day parade we’should l imagi ne that the most serious attention would bo paid to achieving the best possible results. If our' military authorities are oof tain .that Johnsonvillo presents all the necessary advantages, that are required toi secure this there is an endl pf the matter, but if they realise that the ends in view - would bo hetten served elsewhere they could with advantage do* the right thing yet.