OFFICERS FOR THE SECOND DIVISION.

Otago Witness, Issue 3312, 5 September 1917, Page 42

OFFICERS FOR THE SECOND DIVISION.

REPRESENTATION? TO MINISTER OF DEFENCE. WELLINGTON, September 3. The Central Executive of the Federated Second Division Leagues recently made representations to the Minister of Defence, pointing out the undesirableness of officering drafts of married men with youths, and a reply has now been received from Sir James Allen as follows: —

" I am in receipt of your letter of August 25, conveying copies of resolutions (2) passed by the National Second Division Leagues at a meeting held on the 23rd inst., respecting the officering of Second Division drafts.

In reply, I have to inform you, in respect of the first resolution, that, the officers will consist of a proportion of Territorial officers who are themselves in the Second Division and of mature age and experience, as is the regulation at the present time. I\o officers of the Territorial Force who have had less than 12 months' service and are under 23 years of age will be appointed as officers for the Second Division drafts. Respecting the second resolution, in June last general officer commanding the New Zealand Expeditionary Force was frixen authority to return from the front 20 officers per month who have been tried actually in the firing line to assist in the training of reinforcement drafts in New Zealand and to command units proceeding on active service. These officers are now becoming available regularly, and as the establishment of infantry officers per reinforcement draft is 31, there would appear to be no necessity to establish a special, officer training class at once for the training of Second Division officers. In addition to the 20 returned officers per month, a certain number of commissions are granted to returned noncommissioned officers and men on the approval of the general officer commanding the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, which number will be further augmented by the appointment to commissions of noncommissioned officers of the Second Division prior to departure from New Zealand."