TERRITORIAL SYSTEM.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21033, 23 May 1930, Page 7

TERRITORIAL SYSTEM.

A SPIRITED DEFENCE. AN EFFICIENT TRAINING •, SYSTEM. (Special to Daily Times.) ' \ WELLINGTON, May 22. Spirited remarks in defence of the present territorial system'were made by Major-general R. Young, officer commanding the New Zealand Military Forces, last evening at the ceremony of presenting trophies to, artillery units. General Young said, he supposed that the men were wondering if he would be able to say something about the impend-. ing changes in the defence forces. They would all be greatly, interested as to what was going to happen. He . was sorry that he could, not say anything, the reason being that the Cabinet had not yet reached a decision and naturally his lips were sealed. He had been asked to save £IOO,OOO, a large sum, but he could assure them that directly he received the information, he would let them know. He had asked for it before June 1. Till the decision was known he hoped they would go on- with their training in the normal way. There had been a lot of discussion to the effect that thg present-training [was . out of .date and inefficient. “1 want to say this,” said General. Young, " that - is all .wrong,” He referred to the fact that men were going into camp anu were giving up a lot of. their time and effort, and said that if they thought it was a “ dud ” show they could leave. '" I /want you to go away from this hall with the conviction that it is all wrong,” he said. “We are all working on modern, up-tp-date lines. If anybody - comes to you and tells you that this is an inefficient show you can te|l them straight from* me that they are' talking through their hats. If you men had intensive training for only a short period I wouldfput you up against any battery from any part of the Empire or from any other country. I am firmly convinced you could stand up to any criticism, and I would stake my ‘ reputation as a soldier that you could do it.” In conclusion, in reference to the men who were finishing their training, General Young asked them-not to lose .touch with their batteries altogether. He wished them success in the future, and' said he hoped that their lives would be bright, •