OUR VOLUNTEERS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14595, 6 August 1909, Page 3

OUR VOLUNTEERS.

Vliß KMKKGEXCY MOBILISATION. THIO MAN' IN TIIK STREET. "Satisfactory uricli-r tho circumstances," is how Licutenant-coloicd Smyth described tho emergency mobilisation of troops in Dmic.lm "ii Wednesday night, in speaking U, it Times reporter yesterday. It was jiiiidi' apparent upon thorough investigation -ilj.it. there lii«l to M)i»c extent been a. mis iiiiilcMviaiidiii;,' over the alarm given tor the •Tall to arms." II was intimated that, the citv lire bell would ]*> ruiitr continuously for six minutes, lint tho Town Hall bcil was pealed instead, and the result was that a millibar of men did not. hoar it. Then in llm siiiwrlis tho linging of the fireballs ™ not continuous in fomo eases, there being a break in tho ringing', and thai placed a doubt in tho minds of those who heart!-it as to whether it was the signaj that was to call them out. Still, there were, certain features about the scheme as carried out that gave cause for gratification.

It was the ordinary parade night for the. Field Battery, and the fact that they were eble to I urn out with a certain number of horse-, gave a tone of effectiveness to the mobilisation as far as they wore concerned Mint was very satisfying Io Colonel Smyth. It was also tlw parade night of tho Dnilcdin Kiiginci'rs, and co!i?o(|iiontly the.y wero enabled to he pTcsonl in pretty slrong force, and to t,c early on the scene. The numbers fall away, however, when one comes lo the Ist, Battalion of Infantry, where, out of ,i total strength of 300, the muster reaclie-,) otib 110. The Garrison Artillery appeared to have been llm most successful of all. Taking the movement as a whole, there was a conspicuous and very pleasing absence of confusion and shouting, and the discipline Dial, prevailed was good, there IK-ing no difficulty in getting the. orders carried out in the' direction required Tho result was that the final readiness of tho assembled' 1 men. to entrain was secured in. quicker time than was expected. "Thcro fore," said Colond Smyth, "taking tho circumstances of the misundenMandinif about the alarm given info consideration, I am satisfied with the turn-out. The Infantry battalion was, of course, the only one ihal did not give, satisfaction. Ido not believe that any Volunteer deliberately refrained from turning out, but, still one would have expected larger numbers lo have, responded."

A mobilisation scheme sndi as that urranged for Wednesday niprlii. if carried out on complete lines, would afford an exact idea of ivliac Dtincdin would l:e prepared (o do in the way of defonco wero an attempt inudo to .invade the country by a. foreign nation. That, it can only bo assumed, would take place after Britain's navy had ken consigned to the Lot lorn of the tea, and it may further be assumed that an invading forco would be from 1000 to 1500 tt roup;. Such a force could 1)0 up])W>»d by just over 800 trained Volunteers, the total number that could be drawn, on from the Uunedin district. To draw on the, whole of and Southland would mean a. force of 1200, not 1000 .is some people might bo disposed to believe from published returns, for in the computing of that number I hero linvo been included members of ride clubs, who are not trained men, and Defence Cadets, who w.ould be too young to put into the field. Accordingly, a forco of BCO trained and properly equipped men, knowing Hie country and boinjr on the fx*eno beforehand, could make matters very troublesome for an invading forco of an assumed elrcnjcth of 1000 or 1500, who were not acquainted -with tho country. Taking this view of tho matter, Wednesday night's mobilisation scheme must produce a good effect on tboso con corned, However, as there was ;i inisiinderfihindinir about tho alarm given, Colonel Smyth proposes to have another muster arranged at fi ome lator date, when such steps will |-,e taken as to leave no possible doubt in the minds of A'olunteers in the waiter of the alarm.

"A highly pleasing featuro of the movement,''said Colonel Smyth, " was the way in which the Volunteers of Port Chalmers turned out, ami, perhaps oven'still more pleasing, the maimer in which the peoplo of that town greeted them, showing clearly that they viewed Volunteering seriousiv and a' i', should be viewed " '.there was one thing- about tho mobilisation in Diuicdiu that could not escape the notice of tne more sober-minded section of the community. When the troops commenced to arrive at tho Harrison Hall and to assemble in the vicinity of the Kailway Station, their movements wore watched by a largo number of people. And 'here a section of the public, and by no means a email one. showed its lack of sonso of tho fitness of things, They wore not satisfied with getting in tho way and hamporing operations, but hurled jeering and contemptuous remarks at tho Volunteers. Such treatment may be ascribed to the larrikin element, but wherever it conns from it is very dis-cour-.ging to those who.give up their time and devote, themselves to a training that will prove of service .to their country? Contrast, with this tho attitude of ;tlie Port G'lllilincrfl people, who cheered their Volunteer; as they turned out. There (he public aro_ with tho movement, and they treat their Volunteers well, and the result i s that a good class of men come forward. The Dunediu public, as a whole, does not. accord its practical sympathy to the Volunteer movement, and evinces littlo or no interest in it, And the support of the public is a wry healthy factor in the growth of the Volunteering spirit. Hoeing that Volunteers do not get (lie ey.mpa.Uiy they should, to have jeering, contemptuous remarks hurled at them by a. large number of young

men when turning out to parade, proves doubly discouraging. Speaking of this matter to our reporter, Lieutenant-colonel Smyth paid: " Tho. sooner the ignorance of these •young men is made, known to them Iho belter. They will not only not. join Iho Volunteers, but they are doing all they possibly can to discourage those who are giving their time and their service for the benefit of their country." PORT CHALMERS. Tn connection with the mobilisation ol local Voluntneis on Wednesday evening, tho I'ovl Chalmers Xavals rtspomlrd promptly to tin .signals. .Major Dodds's instruct ions were to make provision for the protection of Ilia docks, to form outposts on the high ground north of Port Chalmers for observation ami communication purposes, and to delay the progress of any hostile force attempting to advance from the north. To fulfil these conditions a sergeant residing in (he Pnrakanui district was iu-.lritctcd that on the mobilisation signal being given he should take charge of six other members of the company who live in the same district, and place them on the various roads and tit the entrance <,f the largo railway tunnel. It bad also been arranged that the 16 men residing at Sawyer.)' Bay should muster al the railway station. Tho railway locomotive thai remains overnight at fort Chalmers was io he commandeered and despatched to Sawyers' Bay, so thai in (h,-. event of word being received from Purakanui that the enemy wore ad valuing, the Sawyers' Bav detachment could l.c railed up to the mouth of th? Deborah Buy tunnel, fvom which lh n y could gain fhe road, in a matter of 10 minutes. The mobilisation signal was to he. the Cuing of rockets, conlirmod to the rcsitk-nls of the milking district; bv Iho burning of blue lights from Observation Point and Wieklili'e terrace.

Al. 20 minutos to 8 o'clock the order to mobolise was received from Dimsdin, and 10 minutes afl",rwards tho signals wore tired and confirmed. The first lot of HKii to parade at the- Garrison Mall wore despatched, in charge of a lieutenant and sergeant,, lo the docks, where sentries wore placed lo prevent damage lo the caisson or the. dock machinery. At a-ipiarlcr past 8 o'clock 51 men were on parade, and communication had been established liel.woen Purakaimi, Sawyers Bay, and Dnncdill. At half-pad. 8 word was received from Tunikiiiini that men had been posted al all vantage points. At 8.45 there was a ninslcr of 62 men of all rank.:-:. The Sawyers' Bay men paraded to a man. and a gunner who lives three miles and a-half down Ihe barhour side paraded at the ('hirrfeon Hall at half-past 8 o'clock. The men enlcrcd very heartily into Ihe spirit of flie> call lo arms, and general satisfaction was expressed with the promptitude with which all lhoarran"emeiils wore cavred out. The crew of lira defeuca steamer Lady Roberts were also niobolised, and a few minutes after 8 o'clock the men were at lh?ir posts and the vessel's engines moving. The deck was lighted by electricity, and the gangway was"put out to accommodate the Permanent Artillery men, who turned out from tho barracks at Deborah Bay.