THE DEFENCE FORCES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11253, 25 October 1898, Page 3

THE DEFENCE FORCES.

COLONEL PBNTON'S REPORT,

(From Our Own Correspondent.) . WELLINGTON, October 12. Tho report of Colonel A. P. Penton, the commander of tho forces, was laid on the table of the House to-day by the Hon. T. Thompson. It is a lengthy document of 12 pages. I make the following extracts: — The Permanent Force. —I reported last year that there were not sufficient officers in the permanent force to keep xip the proper spirit of discipline among tho men. Steps have been taken to somewhat remedy this. An Imperial officer has been engaged to take charge of the Artillery defence at Auckland, and the two gentlemen who were probationary cadets last year have been given commissions as lieutenants in the Permanent Artillery. Tl'.ese two young officers have been sent to England to undergo a course of instruction, and on their return to, the colony tho experience and knowledge they will have gained will no doubt materially assist them to educate and train in military duties the men over whom they will be placed in command. I should have been very glad had my | recommendations to get out three artillery ! officers instead of one from the Imperial service on a three years' engagement been accepted, as there is ample work for them to do in the colony. * . ' Proposed Increase.—ln my last report I recommended an increase to the permanent force so that the working of the principal guvs in our defences and all. the specialist details of the forts should be carried out by efficient and well trained men. The proposal met with much opposition in Parliament and elsewhere, but I think it my duty to again urge upon the authorities the necessity of an addition to the artillery branch of the permanent force.- The idea that the colony is to be handed over to militarism because of the necessary numbers of men being asked for to work the principal guns, etc., of the existing defences is absurd. It takes much time and training to make an efficient gar.-;, rison artilleryman, and the permanent force's is all that can be relied on to work the fortsat all times of the year, and under, all conditions. The volunteers, from ■ lack of sufficient work in the forts, would not be competent at once to take their place in the defence. The men are wiling and eager to learn, but have not the required opportunities, and it is only after their annual fortnight's training that they are fitted to efficiently work the guns. In No. 1 Company, it is es-' sential that wo should havo efficiently trained specialists for the several duties connected with the artillery defence. As the force is at present constituted, there is no inducement beyond that of possible future promotion to non-commissioned officers' rank to induce a gunner to keep himself efficient as a specialist. As there are rarely likely to be vacancies in the non-commissioned officers' ranks, the prospects of promotion aro not great. All the first-class gunners should be specialists, liable to be reduced in rank if they do not keep themselves well up in their work. It is on these specialists that the efficient working of the forts very largely depends, and every inducement should be given to them to keep themselves efficient. In No. 2 company we have a very serious dearth of tradesmen, such as electricians, engine drivors, carpenters, and blacksmiths. It is essential, for the efficient carrying out of tho submarine mining work, and the care and upkeep of the various stores and engines, that we should havo a sufficiency of such tradesmen. Tha present, rate of pay seems too low to attract men of good capabilities to the * ranks, and steps should be taken at the very earliest op- ! pcrtunity to remedy the present state of affairs. I recommend that, as suggested for No. 1 Company, the rank of first-class gunner , should "be kept for men who qualify themI selve3 as specialists, and that a man should be .liable to bo reduced in pay if he does not I keep himself up in his work. Reserves.—No steps have yet been taken for providing a reserve for the perma-nor.t force. At present men enlist in the force for no specified time, and aro sworn in to serve in the defence force until lawfully discharged. Regulations should be laid down as to the length of time a man should serve with the colours and with the reserve. The men of No. 2 Company who have joined and been tausht a trade in the company should not bo allowed to leave -until they have completed a certain term of engagement, except by purchasing their discharge for a sum varying aeording to the length of the man's service. Volunteers.—Sinco the last report a volunteer establishment has been fixed for the colony, and sanction lias been given for capitation to be drawn for 7000 men. This will enable the commander if necessary to enrol"; nearly BCOO men, allowing for tho natural percentage of men who for various reasons do not capitate yearly. Of tho infantry eight companies are in a moribund or inefficient state. Tho commander hopes these will cease to exist by the end of tho financial year. Mounted Corps.—Coming to the question of mounted corps, the commander says: — " I look upon the mounted corps as a most valuable arm of the service in this colony, whore a comparatively small force has to i guard s. considerable extent of country. It is most important to ,have a mobile force of mounted rifles, which can quickly attain any desired position and hold an enemy in check until reinforced. I much regret that owing to thi men composing these corps being mostly farmers and working on farms and runs, they cannot bo got together oftener for drill and instruction. I have seen all the mounted | corps in the colony, and consider that with proper training they would form as useful a body of troops as any one would wish to command. The men ere intelligent, hard, ussd to any outdoor life, and to being constantly in tho saddle. Ag a rale, they own tho horses they ride on parade, which, taken all round, are a useful and handy lot of animals. At present they provide their own horses, saddlery, saddlery appointments, and uniforms, receiving from the Government their rifles, riflo-buekots, and accoutrements, and the same amount of capitation as is given to all arms, viz., £210s a year." Colonel Penton suggests that tho capitation should be increased ;to £3 10s to allow for the-upkeep. of saddlery and provision of bridles.and head ropes of a uniform character. Field Artillery.—There are now five batteries of field artillery in the colony, one at each of the four contres and one of two guns at Nelson, for the protection of the cable station. The provision of these batteries will necessarily very much modify the condition of training of the field artillery. At present the batteries only turn out horsed to fire » |

salute on the Queen's Birthday, and oeea- I sionally for special ceremonial parades and field daysj and to march to arid from pamps and practice. Only one pair of horses is allowed per gun, and consequently the guns cannot go out of a walk, and cannot practice taking up positions such as they would be called upon to occupy in action on ground commanding . the surrounding country. Should they by any means succeed in getting into such a position they could not be withdrawn in time to avoid capture if at all pressed by the enemy. The new field batteries will be practically white elephants and useless unless they ■ are properly manned .and horsed. Men and horses should -be trained to impart sufficient mobility to the guns to enable them to play their proper part in the defence. The volunteer regulations are being altered to allow of the field batteries' going into camp for a fortnight, instead of six days. In addition to the fortnight camp, the batteries should turn out once a month for mounted parades of an afternoon. These parades should carry a personal payment of 2s 6d a head to the men turning out, and should not bo earned unless a sufficient number of men turn out to enable the battery to be efficiently worked. Naval and Garrison Artillery .—The officers and men of the artillery corps are keen volunteers and anxious and willing to learn their work, but they suffer from the fact that the n.aiority of the forts aro situated at some distance from the towns, and can only be got at by water. This prevents them in the majority of cases drilling at the forts in the positions they would havo to occupy in action, except during the time of their annual camp. All drill, except in very, special cases, is carried out of an evening, but now that daylight parades have been sanctioned it is hoped that all the -daylight drills will be carried out in the forts. To enable this to be done, however, some arrangemont will have to be made either for hiring or providing suitable steamers for carrying the men to and from the forts. It is impossible to train men as gun layers, one of the most important of artillery duties, unless the training can be carried out by daylight. There are now two corps in the colony, one at Auckland and "one at Wellington, whose duties are entirely confined .to submarine mining work, but owing to the want of proper submarine mining vessels their instruction cannot be thoroughly carried out. In last year's report it was recommended that two efficient submarine mining boats should_ be procured, and it is imperative for the efficient training of the men and the proper laj'ing out of the mine fields that such boats should be purchased at as early a date as possible. TiU regulations as to the musketry course for all naval corps are .being revised, and these corps will earn their capitation on their qualification as artillerymen and submarine miners, and not be dependent for it on their skill with the rifle. The money hitherto given ,for; prizes for rifle shooting to the various artillery corps should be lumped together and given as a prize to the company who scores most points in a competitive artillery practice, which should be instituted yearly in the four centres. More ammunition should be allowed annually to the artillery corps for their practice, as it is only by carrying out the actual firing that the practical results of the training can be ascertained. ' Infantry.—During the past year the organisation of the infantry has been changed, and all the corps in the colony either have been, or are about to bo, organised into battalions. This is a simple matter in the centres, where there are several corps in one town and others grouped on the railway system in close proximity to the town. The battalions so formed will have a reality of existence. As regards the country_.co'rps, however, there are_ rarely more than two companies of the battalions in ono town, and the other companies,are dotted about at different stations along > the line of rail, so that the battalion only comes together as a whole at Easter camps' or on special occasions. To carry out the battalion system thoroughly in.the country districts an extended use will have to be made of the railways. This should bo done so that battalions, if possible, arid most certainly halfbattalions, should be brought together for daylight drills. The infantry corps are, considering the amount of training .they get, ,fairly efficient in. drill-hall work, but sadly deficient in their knowledge of practical soldiering. This is not thef fault of the men, but of, the system of volunteering in force in the colony. With the exception of the timo spent in the company - camp, no daylight. parades j are insisted on, and consequently the men get very little out-of-door training. In some districts advantage' is taken of moonlight nights to take the corps out, but this is not nearly sufficient. It is hoped that, the six daylight parades, with a personal payment to. i the men of 2s 6d each parade, recently sancj tioned, will go some way to remedy this defect. Of course, these parades and the conditions they are to be held under this year are only experimental, and till we have gained some experience of how the men turn out and what effect the training has on the force no hard and fast rules can be laid down. Sympathy of Employers.—l trust now that the Government'has seen its way to provide the -money for these extra parades that the employers of labour in the colony will cooperate and do all they can, compatibly with their business arrangements, to allow their men to take advantage of the parades. Their success depends very largely on employers granting volunteers in their employ some slight concessions, and as the volunteers work entirely for the protection of the^ employers' property in time of war, I trust that we will bo met in a. liberal spirit. lam glad to say that within 'the last four months two large —one in Auckland and one in Dunedin — have come forward and allowed corps to be formed exclusively from their employees, and as the men in these corps will all be able to get away on the same day I have no doubt but that the companies so formed will soon turn out smart and efficient. Should these daylight parades prove a success this year, I hope that the full number I asked for (12) will be granted next year. I am sure that the money given to improve the efficiency of the force in field training and out-door work will be money well expended. A Great Weakness.—The great weakness of the volunteer force lies in its officers and non-commissioned officers. So long as the power of election of officers remains withthG men bo long will the volunteers bo inefficient from a military point of view. As matters at present exist an officer is dependent for his position on the will of the men, and he is loth to do anything at all contrary to the feelings of the men, the consequence being a sad want of discipline, which would militate very seriously against efficiency should active operations have to «ie taken. The officers are, as a rule, keen to learn, but have few opportunities of perfecting themselves in the higher brandies of tho military profession. It is the non-commissioned officers, however, who are the great blot on tho volunteer! force. In the largo majority of the, companies the commander ha 3 inspected he has had serious fault to find with tho non-commissioned officers. Making largo allowance for nervousness and what- is called " inspection fever," beyond knowing'the manual and firing exercises, and in some cases tho bayonet exercises and physical drills, the non-commissioned officers are rarely able to efficiently instruct their men. The. non-commissioned officers should be the backbone of the company, thoroughly up in all drills and capable_ of imparting instruction both to the recruits and the company. They should not permit mistakes to pass without notice when drilling their men. As a rule they seem to be either afraid to correct the men or to be too ignorant to do so. They do not inspire the I respect among the men which they ought, and as a body are capable of vast improvement. Revival of Volunteering.—During the last few months there has been a sreat revival cf volunteering throughout ,the colony. Since the commander's arrival 71 corps have pioffered their services to the' Government, and the majority of these offers havo come in since the commencement of this year. The commander has only recommended the acceptance of tho services of companies at headquarters of districts or in stations closely connected by rail or by boat with those in which corps already exist, so that no difficulty should bo experienced in getting companies together for daylight drills, and that mobilisation for service could be carried out in the most expeditious mariner. Each of tho four centres now has its own town battalion. The companies comprising the battalion can be mobilised in a few hours and marched at once to their positions. Under the defence scheme the companies of the country battalions, being all on tha line of rail or boat communication, could all be mobilised and in their positions within 24- hours. • . ■ Engineer Corps.—Provision has been made for an Engineer Corps to bo formed in each of the foul1 principal districts. Corps have existed for some time past in Christchurch and Dunedin. So far I havo been unable to fprm, them'in Auckland and Wellington; A scale of equipment has been laid. down for suoh corps, and orders arc- being sent Home for part of the equipment this year, to be completed in the following year. These corp3 will be available for telephone signalling and telegraph work, and for carrying out simple field engineering, and it is hopod the establishment of the corps will soon be- completed. Cycle Corps.—Sanction has been given to tho foi-mation .of a Cycle Corps, consisting of two officers and 25 non-commissioned officers and men at the four' centres. Corps ab*eady exist at Wellington, Dunedin, and Christchurcb, and the 'commander hopes soon to get the offer of a, corps from Auckland. Medical Services. — Regulations are being drawn up for the reorganisation of tho medical branch. This branch will be organised by districts, a principal medical officer being appointed for each district, who will be responsible for the proper carrying out of all the medical services in the distriot. Camps.—At the Easter camps there are practically only two days for work, and it is matter for serious consideration whether these two days' drill are worth the expense entailed —£3000. The difference between Homo and colonial volunteering is very great, but m England, where men axe worse paid, have

fewer holidays, and. much, less'"'leisure '-thai;."-' thoy have in.the colony, a* large number of thrift; volunteer corps manage to go out for a whole1;.;! week's training to some place quite apart from r; their stations. I should very much: like,nexts',| year to attempt to .get a portion of the'whola: , of the volunteers out at Easter, or- any: con.;-:-fv venient .season, for a whole week's, training,:. : i; School of Instruction,—The report.strongly':;:^' reepmmends the establishment of schools p) »': instruction, 'and suggests,that the.travelling,*;., expenses of any volunteers wishing to :atleni: j .£*'.- these schools should be paid by the* Govern.;■} ment; that ncn-commissioned ' offieei'3, an?:, '■ men should bo given accommodation-in bar- -v, racks, and free rations^whilst so attending; :;'J? officers to be given free passages and reoog- ~:::■ nised 'travelling allowance^ for their- raiik, ; whilst actually under instruction.:. :l?our,';f courses of three weeks or a month's duration v; might be held during the , year.; 'These.;;:: courses would be thoroughly practical; in ad- V dilion to lectures en the higher branches of i;.. the soldier's profession. . . . . v -; v::;',::