TRAINING OF TERRITORIALS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3382, 8 January 1919, Page 14

TRAINING OF TERRITORIALS.

SIR JAMES ALLEN’S VIEWS. vFeom Oub Own Cohhespondent.) WELLINGTON, January 5. The Minister of Defence made v a statement to-day about a possible alteration of the system of training for Territorials in the future. “My mind is clear on the quee- " tiou,” ho said; “but whether the country will adopt my proposals or not is - another matter. I have said before, and I repeat now, that I can conceive no better method of training our Territorial forces than we could devise by profiting by the experience we have gained in the Expeditionary Force training camps. This experience proveswe can get a man into camp at the age of 18, when he is entering the Territorials, for about, four months, we can not only make the man a decent soldier, but We can turn him out of camp a civilian better in health and physique and more useful to the community generally than ho otherwise would have been. I am strongly of opinion that the Territorial training should be begun with a period of three or four months in camp under thoroughly competent instructors. I think, too, that physical drill should be a special part of the training, and that initiative and resource and smartness should be developed by the use of games, as in the Expeditionary Force camps. There are also lessons to be learned by men in hygiene and cleanliness which are of immense importance to the community. I am sure that the discipline that thev would get in a camp would be good for the men in their civil occupations. _ Then there is the very valuable influence that must come from the men_ of all classes of the community associating in camps and feeling that they are units of the nation* • preparing to defend the nation if necessary and to equip themselves as better citizens in civilian life. It is my opinion that these associations of men in camp would break down a groat many of the misunderstandings that exist to-day. and make for the greater respect of man for man. The training of a staff of officers and of troops would keep one of the camps here occupied most of the year. Of course, we could not keep on bringing the men from the South Island always, and it would be necessary to provide a camp in some suitable position in the South Island.”