THE DEFENCE FORCES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14898, 29 July 1910, Page 8

THE DEFENCE FORCES.

By Sentjiy,

Itsras of information and brief coiEmanu on quo«tioiiß ocming under this heading are always \v«lcome. Books, pamphlets, etc., seat U tho editor this column irill also be noiiocd. Colonel liobin, Chief of tho General Staff, lias oxpressed his wiilingness to come to Dunedin daring the holding of the forthcoming class of instruction for officers and give a lecture dealing wif.h the application of the now Defence Act. The O.C. District, is negotiating for the visit. It is suggested that not alone- the officers attending the class, but all officer® who can make it convenient should attend. Tho proposal is otre that will bo cordially wclcomd, as most of the offices are awaiting tlio elucidation of niajiy' Many companies aro simply mar-Jung time" until something dofinitois known as to their position a,ud responsibility under the irew system.

Another officer lias been recommended for appointment to tho First Battalion O.R.V. Mr J. A. Laing, of tho U.B.S. Co., is the gentleman _ referred to, aird it is proposed to past him to tho Duncdin Hifias. I understand that his military service Iras ten confined to a connection with Cadets. This appointment will leave but one vacancy in tho ranks of the officers of tho battalion to be filled, the C&versham •Rifles still requiring an officer. . Captain Hickey, A.A.G., is at present m Oajnani conducting a class. Lieutenant-colonel Slater lias written a history of Volunteering in Canterbury, and, will publish it ni book form eogji. The meeting of officers cbniroMiding units, called for the purpose of considering the boundaries of the areas in Ot-u ,r o was postponed oir the suggestion of the Chief of tho General Stalf ponding tho passage of the new Defence Bill Tho continued growth of tho Boy Scout movement lias rendered it necessary to considerably amend the scheme of orpanisation. 13, a executive has dccided to Eubaivide eacli island into provincial districts and appoint a Scout Commissioner to each this officer U) have a general control of the movemen tin his province. Major » i i i 11 E-nginoars, has been ottered, and has accepted, the position of commissioner.for Olago. p f o "' ' las in<luoffld in the Port ChaW Aavals a d«ite to live ud to the trust, and the outoonnj is that about two dozen recruits have recently been added, bringing up (lie strength to anpioximately S6. All the rccruits conform, to the requirement that they must not be over the age of 23, and the O.C. is pleased with the stamp of men coming forward. The company has been veorganiyd. Lieutenant Crawford is in command of the 6-inch gun section, which besides commg to Dunedin to train on th 4 6-inch guns at Central Battery, does infantry drill at Port Chalmors every Menday jiight •Lieutenant Braitliwoito ihas charge of the 12-pounder Q.F. scction, and Lieutenant Mitchell, besides taking cW-c of tho frpoundsr dolaclimont, attends to the training of the specialists—electric lighting, etc.,—Sergeant-major Montgonveiy being associated with him l'ji f-his comprehensive task. Each of these officers is responsible for the efficiency of the saoi tion he is in charge of. Members of the OOmpau.y ho looking forward to their annual ball, which takes piaoc about the middle of jioxt month.

The important part the Highland uniform plays in the lif-3 and being of the Dunedin Highland Itiflc-s is generaily reoogniswl, but probably not to its full extent. I am informed on sound authority that so firmly attached are the members of the Duncdin Highland Rifles to their fulldress uniform and its associations that, if the regulation,? oonlirm the present intention that full-dregs uniform shall be altogether discarded, it is practically certain tlwt the Btinedin Highland Rifles will decide to disband

The various companies of the Ist Battalion will parade as under for inspection by the battiifion staff: —A Company, Monday. August 8; C Company, Tuesday, August 9; E Company, Monday, August 1; F Company, Monday, August io, G Company, Tuesday, August 2; • H Company, Monday, August 22; Cycle 'and Signal Corps, Monday, August 1; Band, Tuesday, August 9.

Instructions have been received from district headquarters that all recruits must this year go through 30 'hours'- instruction under the district staff. The time put in with company para(b-> will not count as part of the 30 hours. Officers commanding companies will notify the adjutant at oneo ■the number of recruits taken cu this yoar, so that a class can bs started forthwith. .

Captain Richardson lias been telling them in Christchurch something of how officers and nbn-oomniissicntid officers arc to be trained. "In one particular," said the lecturer, " England baa a long pull over us here, in that N.C.O.'s and men, to say nothing' of officers, have the regular army, wUh its schools, close at hand, to which they can be attached for special training, which, of course, we have not. This will probably be met by lidding camps of instruction tor officers and N.C.O.'s yearly, beforo the ordinary training camps, so as to enable the officers ami N.C.O.'s of each company to instruct -their own men. For you are the men who will have to lead in war, and how are you going to do that if you don't, instruct in peace?"

In order to prov'do that members of B Battery who are unable to maintain their connection with the battery may still be attached for occasional duties, a battery reserve has been formed l , the nucleus being four sergeants. ' The annual presentation of prizes in connection with the Dunedin Engineers will this year take tha form of a social, to bs held in the Dominion Tea Rooms. This precludes the possibility of the usual display o? work.

" When in 1865 the 4th Army Corps of the Union army was transported from Carter's Station to Nashville, 373 miles, it required 1498 cars. An army corps of the same size, together with all necessary equipment, could be transported from Germany to tho United States on five steamers of the Hamburg-American or Norddcubscher Lloyd. .Twenty-five of ttee steamers could transport from Germany to the American sea coast 75,000 trcops, together with their equipment, -in less time than it would have taken Grant to march the same number of men from Washington to Appomattox."— Nation in Arms.

There seems a lair prospect of the question of supplying a mv sword to tlio mounted brandies of tho service being settled at last (says tho United Service's Gazette). It has taken some time for a decision lo bo arrived at, for the matter has more or less engaged the attention of the Army Council for the past two years. During that period a considerable controversy on the subject has (been waged in t.he columns of the press, the opposing schools of thought being divided as to whether the new weapon Was to be a- cutting sword or one for thrusting purposes only. The • difficulty of adjudicating on these opinions is, we understand, to be got over by a combination of qualities, and this is, perhaps, the happiest solution that could be found for the problem. In any case, it was high time that son'elhing ol a. more serviceable character should be substituted for the present cumbersome ca.va.lry sword, which the experience of the South African- war xelcgated to an obsolete age. It cannot, bo claimed for the military authorities that Miey have moved too expeditiously in tho matter, and. in view of the importance of the change, it is as well that they should have exorcised mature deliberation in carrying it out. It is significant that a change is also being made in the type of sword with which the Gorman cavalryman is armed. This is now > being replaced by a short bayonet' sword, which is to be affixed to the rifle. Tt is also intended that German infantry officers are to bo armed with ,a more handy weapon than the clumsy sword that liow dangles by their side, and in all probability tho new arm will take the form of a kind of cutlass, suoh as is worn by petty officers in our navy. It is a matter of wonder, indeed, that a change in the sword has not come before this, for every war of modern times has proved its comparative uselessnes« for effectual work, it being too unwieldy; for use at close quarters. As a matter of fact, it was found that in South Africa, the officer trusted more to his revolver than to his sword for putting, his enemy out of action.