COMPULSORY TRAINING.

Otago Witness, Issue 3029, 3 April 1912, Page 6

COMPULSORY TRAINING.

LIST OF TRAINING CAMPS. WELLINGTON, March 26. Up to date, according to the list supplied by the Defence Department, training camps have been held at the following plaoes (with approximate numbers attending) :—Uringi—i), F, and J Batteries, Wellington Field Artillery Brigade, No. 4 Company Wellington Field Engineers, 400; Wairongua (near Dunedin)—4th Regiment Otago Rifles, 420; Annandale and Piako—6th Hauraki Regiment, No. 1 Field Ambulance (I) section), 400; Whangarei—lsth North Auckland Regiment, No. 1 Field Ambulance (C section), 470; Mandeville (near Gore)—B and C Batteries, Otago Field Artillery Brigade. 203; Wellington—Nos. 3, 5. and 9 Companies Wellington Garrison Artillery Division, No. 4 Wellington Field Ambulance, 400; Kakariki, Grcatford—7th Regiment Wellington West Coast Rifles, 600; Lyttelton—No. 4 Company New Zealand Garrison Artillery and two Coast Defence Companies of the Ist Canterbury Regiment, 220; Hamilton —A and G Batteries of the Auckland Field Artillery Brigade, No. 3 Company Auckland Field Engineers, Auckland Infantry Signal Company, 400; Marakeke (near Takapau)— Ist and 2nd Battalions 9th Regiment, Wellington East Co:ist Rifles, 1000; Papatcetoa (near Auckland)—3rd Auckland Regiment. No. l Auckland Field Ambulance (A esction), 850; Hamilton—l6th Waikato Regiment, 600;—total, 5960. Training camps are now being held in the following places :—Auckland—Nos. 1 6. and 7 Companies of the Auckland Garricon Artillery Division, 300: Orari (Canterbury)—Bth South Canterbury Mounted Rifles, Canterbury Mounted Brigade. Signal Company, 350; Coalgate (Canterbury)—E Battery New Zealand Field Artillery, Canterbury Brigade Ammusician Column. 150; Nelson—H Battery Mew Zealand Field Artillery, 100; West-port—No. 8 Company New Zealand Giarrison Artillery, Coast Defence Infantry, 150; Merton (Otago)—No. 2 Com-

pany Field Engineers, 100; Gore Show Ground—Bth Regiment Southland Rifles, 500;—total, 1650 | Twenty-five more camps have yet to be held during April and May. COLONEL BELL'S IMPRESSIONS. HAMILTON, March 27. Colonel Allen Bell, who was lately in command of the mounted forces in this district, and who was the first to advo- . cate the universal military movement in New Zealand, on being interviewed on the recent Waiakto camps, said they surpassed his fondest hopes. If the results attained in other districts were like those obtained here all the objections to the sytem would be quickly dispelled. The ! time had come, said the colonel, for a radical alteration in the old-time army methods. Fancy uniforms, consisting of frock coats, yards of gold lace, cocked hats with feathers (which looked very pretty on a lady, but made a soldier look effeminate and ridiculous) must be swept out of existence, with many other customs that had been handed down from the dark ages. A WARM SUPPORTER. (Fhom Oun Own Cohhespondent.) WELLINGTON, March 26. In his address to the Chamber of Commerce this afternoon the president (Mr H. C Tewsley) referred to the past year as having seen active operations carried out and training camps held. Ere long as the young men became accustomed to discipline and the employers had readjusted any inconvenience consequent upon camp leave, the new system would naturally take its place in the life of the Dominion. " Unthinking people and irresponsibles adversely criticise the defence system," said Mr Tewsley, " but its institution must eventually result in the improvement of the physique of the rising generation, inculcate methods of discipline, and at the same time train bodies of men to be ready to protect the Dominion's homes and commerce. The i Empire has enjoyed immunity from the possibility of national disaster through the horrors of war so long that a false sense of security has arisen in. the minds of some, and we find a crop of objectors from so-called conscientious scruples ■ declining to bear their share in the Em- ; pire's burden. Where would they be when in time of war the feedwg of the people became the burning question? j We cannot ignore the fact that we are largely dependent upon sea-borne supplies for much of the necessities of existence, and that our commercial life also depends upon having markets for our pro- | duce. The working population should take this aspect to heart, and cheerfully support and insist upon the defence , scheme being loyally carried out in its entirety." MEETING OF OPPONENTS. CHRISTCHURCH, March 26. At an open meeting of the General Labourers' Union to-night the compulsory military training system was discussed, and the following motion was agreed to : " That in the opinion of this meeting of general labourers the organised workers of this country are now called upon to take some drastic action if the military powers decide to have any more of our children sent to gaol under the compulsory military training act, and in our opinion Labour should take a few weeks' holiday together and stop the wheels of industry' until the act is repealed." It was also decided that the meeting for- j ward a cable message congratulating Tom Mann and his comrades who had ! been sent to gaol for their principles, j and that the message be sent through ; Mr Keir Hardie, M.P. A RECALCITRANT YOUTH. AUCKLAND, March 27. " Gaol or no gaol, I'll see him in first," were the words of an anti-mili-tarist youth that startled the dignity of the Police Court this morning when ' asked to state to Captain Hawkins why j he refused to comply with the Defence ' Act. There were in all a couple of dozen

young men summoned, and many and varied were the reasons given to Mr | Fraser, S.M., as he sympathetically talked the matter over with the defendants. The youth in question was one of four who "objected to militarism in any shape or form," and it was in reply to an injunction from his Worship to state his reasons to Captain Hawkins why he failed to render service that he made the above rather startling statement. " Take that man in charge for contempt of court,'' promptly ordered the magistrate, and he was lodged in the prisoners' room. Mr Fraser stated that he was quite willing to hear any reasonable statement from defendants, but he would not tolerate any contempt of court. An hour later the lad was brought back to the court, when he contritely stated his remark was a slip of the tongue and had not in any case been addressed to his Worship. Mr Fraser said it was not a case of personal feeling, but young men must not think they could do just as they liked in a court of justice. For an offence of contempt of court a prisoner was liable to 14 days' imprisonment without option, but in this case he would not be further punished. For refusing to render service under the act he would be fined £2 and costs. In the case of the other youths, some were fined similar amounts, while others who had registered since being summoned were fined 7s and costs. DEFAULTERS IMPRISONED AUCKLAND, March 27. Two young men are at present serving seven days' imprisonment with hard labour in the Mount iulen Gaol for nonpayment of fines imposed for refusing to take the • oath of allegiance as required by the Defence Act. The fine imposed in each case Mas £2 and costs (7s). One of the men went to prison on Monday and the other on Tuesday. PASSIVE RESISTER'S FOLLY AUCKLAND, March 28. A young man who wore the badge of tho Passive Registers' Union and who discoursed glibly but rathor pointlessly on the right of free speech was charged at the Police Court this morning that on February 7 he published a paper headed " Down with Conscription," on which the name and place of residence of the printer were not printed. The accused pleaded not guilty, but when informed that distributing a circular meant in the terms of the act "publishing" it, he admitted the offence. His Worship said he was sorry that the provisions of the act were so drastic, as--the offence was committed in ignorance. The act provided for a minimum fine of £5 and a maximum of £2O. The printer was the person to blame, and he undoubtedly knew the act and left the imprint out to shield himself from proceedings under the Defence Act. The minimu,m fine of £5 and costs would be imposed. REORGANISATION REQUIRED. AUCKLAND, March 28. Replying to Colonel Bell's statements in regard to chaplains, the Rev. W. E. Gillam, of the 3rd (Auckland) Mounted Rifles, when approached by a reporter immediately took up the cudgels on behalf of the chaplains. Mr Gillam stated at the outset that he did not wish it to be thought that he was criticising the work of other chaplains, as he did not know what the facts of the case were at all. " I agree with Colonel Bell, however, as to the character of the services which should be held," said Mr Gillam. " There is a need that the chaplains' department should be altogether reorganised, and I have been waiting to see what steps General Godley would take in this direction. I think every chaplain holding a commission should be called upon to serve with tho troops during an encampment. If a chaplain fails to do so he should be compelled to resign his commission. A chaplain in camp should have a. tent to himself, so that he might be able to privately interview the men as opportunity occurs. There has, to my mind, been a tendency on the part of the commanding officers to ignore the chaplains, but now

that the compulsory scheme has been brought into operation parents will not be satisfied unless the moral and religious welfare of the lads is looked after. I don't think that the chaplains of this province have conducted divine service in any such slipshod manner as described by Colonel Bell. The chaplains of the district, I know, are desirous of throwing themselves into this new movement and helping it with the utmost enthusiasm. In view of some of hie previous" utterances, chaplains of this province cannot *• blamed if they do not take Colonel Bell's latest remarks seriously." CAMP AT GORE. GORE, March 28. The Eighth Regiment camp is in full swing on the Gore Show Ground. Some 510 men are under canvas, with Lieu-tenant-colonel Boyne in charge. Useful instructional work is being done by the men, with lectures to officers, etc. * Wet weather is being experienced. MEETING OF SUPPORTERS. WELLINGTON, March 28. A meeting of supporters of universal military training to-night wiis attended by about a dozen persons. Resolutions were adopted expressing satisfaction with the past success of the scheme, appreciation of the work of the Commandant and staff, and deprecating any interference with the act by the Executive, but expressing willingness to consider an alternative form of punishment which will act as a practical deterrent. REGIMENTAL CHAPLAINS. SEVERE CRITICISM. WELLINGTON. March 28. Colonel Allen Bell, officer commanding the Waikato Regiment, in a printed official memorandum to chaplains attached to regiments, says :—" The chaplains, with a few notable exceptions, have been a useless excrescence on various regiments. As a class they have not displayed any initiative or ability to strike out on modern lines. They do not seem to- recognise that if they are going to do good work they will have to cast aside the useless methods of the past, and work on lines that appeal to the citizen soldiery of a democratic country. The formal service held in the military camp on Sundays is merely a parade productive of unuttered profanity on the part of most of those who have to attend, doing no really good work for the betterment of the forces, whilst all along the line there is splendid work to be done among thousands of youths of the citizen army of the Dominion." Colonel Bell suggests that the chaplain should not be an officer, should not hold any military rank whatever, should be organised and trained in the work of running regimental institutes, camp entertainments, and amusements of various kinds, and that a special duty should be to see that the life of the military camp be made at least more attractive than the bar of a hotel or the streets of our towns. "Before any real good can be done by the chaplains," Colonel Bell concludes, " they must cast aside the obsolete methods which have produced the dry rot amongst which they nave lowered their status in the military forces of the Dominion."

RIFLE CLUB SCHEME. STATEMENT BY COLONEL ROBIN. WELLINGTON, March 28. In a memorandum just issued Colonel Rubin, Adjutant-general,, states that, judging by the results of the medical examination - of recruit* last year, it is expected that about 5 per cent, will be found' totally unfit. About 60 per cent, will ba posted to the Territorial Force and 35 per cent, to the rifle clubs. Regarding! the new- rifle club scheme, Colonel Robin states that the making use of the rifle clubs is to avoid the multiplication of divisions of the force, and to place the defence forces of New Zealand in two categories in their relation to the trainin;/ and defence of the Dominion. The first lino will be the Territorial Force and

the Territorial Reserve, and the second line the rifle clubs and training sections affiliated to the rifle clubs. It must be borne in mind that very shortly all young men posted to form rifle clubs will have undergone drill and training between the ages of 14 and 18 in the Senior Cadets. The drill in the rifle clubs will thus be of a refresher character, the only end in view being that all will be drilled and practised in musketry to a state of individual efficiency, to be drafted into the active ranks of* the force to fill vacancies or augment the same should the necessity arise. The rifle clubs will be given a place and function in the defence schemes, and their movement in time of- necessity provided for in mobilisation. The instruction of Dominion clubs already existing will continue, and be governed by rules and regulations already in force. Where no clubs exist the men available will be posted to give the rifle club a designation. Only those young men who by the 31st May next have reached the age of 18, and are not required for the Territorial Force, will be posted to the rifle clubs this and each succeeding year. The system is in no way retrospective. Regulations governing the rifle clubs are published.