THE DEFENCE FORCES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3030, 10 April 1912, Page 6

THE DEFENCE FORCES.

By Sentry. [ltems of interest concerning corps (town and country), ghosting, and defence matters generallv Will be accepted. Copy, addressed to " Sentry," should be in hand by noon on Thursday.] Instructions are being issued to the affect that at all camps " Last Post " and "Lights Out" must be sounded not later" than 10 p.m. and 10.15 p.m. respectively. A supply of the Mills Webb equipment has "been received at the Diinedm office, and will shortly be issued. Before troops are marched out of camp officers commanding regiments will in future hold a kit inspection. Any shortage of equipment or uniform that has been unnecessarily damaged (fair wear and tear being allowed for) wiil be charged against the Territorial, and the amount will be stopped out of his pay. Lieut. Crawford, of the Port Chalmers Navals. has been promoted to be captain. It is 26 years since Captain Crawford joined the company, and but for two breaks in service, owing to absence from Port Chalmers, he would have to his credit 26 years. His absence for two separate periods reduces his service to 18 years. It is anticiyated that quite a large number of Duuedin Territorials will put in their training at Oainaru with the 10th Regiment. These men will parade in plain clothes at the Carrison Hall at 7.30 p.m. on the 10th inst. to receive instructions. They will parade in uniform on the 11th inst., and proceed to Oamaru by the second express. SYSTEM OF PROMOTION. In future the promotion of officers is to be given effect to according to the regimental- system; that is. that all officers on the establishment of a regiment or battalion or corps will be promoted to fill the vacancies which may occur from time to time in the particular regiment, battalion, or corps in which they may be serving. There i 6 to be no system of Territorial or " squadron -" or " company " promotion, and the fact that the system may possibly cause the appointtmen of .five majors or five captains or five lieutenants in one squadron, or, again, three majors or three captains or three lieutenants in one company, is not to be considered an obstacle to regimental promotion. In the event of the occurrence of such cases which would be caused by the promotion of officers of the same "seniority living in the same district and serving in the same squadron or company, the senior officer would command the'squadron, etc.. the ether officers doing the work of subalterns. Thus, in the same regiment, to put an extreme case which is not likely t-o occur, one squadron may be commanded by a major assisted by "one major as captain and three majors as subalterns. Another squadron in the same regiment may bo commanded by a second lieutenant, assisted by four other seoond lieutenants. The registration of men to commence service in the military vear commencing June 1. 1912, is now falling due. The following instructions are being issued: (ai All persons who will attain the ages of 14 to 22 years on or before 31st May next who have not already registered to do so. This does not mean that anybody who was over the age of 21 last year. when the scheme was put into operation is affected : the age of 22 only refers to those persons who neglected to register lust year. (b)" All boys attending any primary school who will attain or have attained 14 years of age on the 31st May. 1912. or if they remain at such primary school beyond the age of 14 on 31st May of the year in which they wiil have or have left such primary school. Registration of hoys attending primary schools may be made by school authorities on behalf of the boys. (c) All male persons who have not attained 22 years of age temporarily absent from the Deffliniun, not previously registered, must ,' o so within two months of their return.

(d) All male immigrants who are between the ages of 14 and 22 must register within six months after arriving in the Dominion. (e) All male persons who, owing to change of residence, have ceased to reside in an exempted area must register within SO days of such change of residence to an area not so exempted. If registration has already been made, the person must produce his record book to the nearest Area Office. (fj Registration forms may be obtained at- any military office, police station, or post office, or at schools throughout the Dominion. Such forms must be correctly filled in and posted or handed to the nearest Military Area Office not later than the 31st May, 1912. Preliminary arrangements to be made in each district for transfer or posting from the Senior Cadets to Territorial Force of all those youths who have attained or will attain' the age of 18 on or before the 31st .May, 1912, also to register and post any who may have escaped last vear's registration as per notice quoted in Stage A. 0.0. districts will, through their gjpoup and medical oiiicers, also uiivuige convenient times and places for medical examination of Territorial Force and Senior Cadet quotas at drill centres throughout their district. The experience gained last year should minimise any complaints as to recruits having to travel too far or be kept away from their homes overflight when being examined. Registration of youths who reach the age of 14 during May wiil take place as follows. — (a) Through the school ; (b) if left primary school, usual registration form is to be procured by the youth from the nearest military office, post, or police office, to be filled in and signed and handed or jwsted to the nearest Military Area Officer to his place of residence. Camping at the Heads brings to the Port Chalmers Navals the advantage of the large barracks, accommodating the whole company at mess, besides providing a reading and writing room and separate rooms for officers and non-commissioned officers. The company entered upon its period of annual training Inst Thursday. The company mustered about 110 strong, in addition to which there were about. 20 " casuals " from other units. The officers are Major Dodds fin command), Captain Crawford, Lieutenants Braithwaite, -Mitchell, M'Kellar. and Captain Borrie, of the medical staff. Chaplain-captains Reid and VVhyte will visit the camp. The routine is: 6 a.m.. reveille: 6.0 Q a.m. to 7 a.m., physical drill: 7 a.m. to 7.30 a.m., squad drill and officers' and noncommissioned officers' redlining classes ; 8 a.m., breakfast : 9 a.m. to noon, drill, including gun drill, signalling, range-find-ing, and electric light drill. The guns to be mounted are oin 8.L., 12pr. Q.F., and 6pr Q.F. The social side of the camp life is not to Ik- overlooked. A social committee has been formed. Two footballs and sets of boxing gloves are amongst the accessories which will minister to the pleasure of the men. In Corporal Mains the company possesses the champion middle-weight boxer of New Zealand. The Duuedin Engineers were comfortably accommodated on Mr Orbell's properly at Merton, and are grateful for innumerabla kindnesses during their stay. The attitude of men like Mr Orbel), showing practical interest in the Territorials, is just an indication of the spirit of approval with which the defence scheme is viewed by the average citizen. AVhile the thinking portion of the population is almost wholly favourable to the (-theme, it is a pity that the Government should pander to the wishes of a small but loud section of the public. As in all camps this year, the setting up of recruits physically and initiating them into the A 13 C of military training has been the main business at the Duuedin Rngineers' training camp. But one of ■ th-s best results of all these initial camps has been the transforming of unwilling Territorials into soldiers with an interest .in and some enthusiasm for their military service. The Engineers were not singular in having to commence with a certain number of men who were disposed to resent discipline. If is safe to say at the conclusion of the camp that all such men have changed their views of

service in the Territorials. Thus by degrees the spirit of antagonism is being eliminated throughout the land, and in due time the prejudice will have almost. completely disappeared. The men who pictured themselves toil ing incessantly on relentless pick and shovel work for a week at Merton were agreeably disappointed. Only once wei'e they set to prepare fire trenches. The instruction was mostly confined to elementary infantry, squad drill, musketry, and elementary field engineering, knots, lashings, etc. Scrgt.-major Wood set a bracing pace for the physical drill each morning. At the outset there was a call for volunteers for the riding school. No fewer than 40 jumped at the chance to show their equestrian skill. It was all very pleasant at the beginning with feet in the stirrups and the horses walking. But presently came the order to discard the use of stirrups and reins and guide the horse at a trot with the knees. Then it was that man after man. after the most ludicrous efforts to preserve the balance, lurched ingloriously to the turf and was counted «iiit. Those who lived through the tests formed the mounted section, and with riding and driving practice every day made wonderful progress. Food?—"Plain. but plentiful and wholesome " was the well-satisfied comment of one who was doing his first camp. Overworked?—"No —not a bit. Do you know ". Well, he's a real decent sort. Couldn't stand him in the Garrison Hall, but he's just the fellow in camp. The Rev. Bush-King, too—he's a good sort. Comes into your tent and has a chat as well as giving lantern lee-' tores, and so on." The power to fine men for breaches of discipline is calculated to have a salutary effect. When pay day comes round at camp the man whose allowance is 10.5 less than his neighbour's is apt to reflect whether his tilt "at authority was worth while. At the Engineers' camp 10 men took the liberty of absenting themselves from a route march, alleging footsoreness as the reason. Their excuse might have been effective had they not eaercised their weary limbs at football whilst their fellows were route marching. Because of this, taken with other considerations of importance, these men had to forfeit each 10e of his camp allowance. An excellent arrangement I had made for a short narrative of the 3th Regiment training camp has unhappily missed fire owing to going to press early in consequence of the impending Easter holidays. I hope to publish this contribution next week.