GENERAL RICHARDSON.

Otago Witness, Issue 3402, 28 May 1919, Page 21

GENERAL RICHARDSON.

ARRIVAL IN DUNEDIN

General Riohardson camo to town on Saturday, and the peoplo turned out in force to accord a fitting welcome to the soldiers groat friend. The general hates publicity. 2nd tried to slip into town unnoticed; but thero was no chanco of escaping the recognition of the crowd that thronged the railway station on Saturday night when the express came in. liiat tho general was coming through was not known at the towns en route, and no demonstrations were therefore made. Ho motored through' from Christchurch to Timaru, where he caught the express, and the latter town entertained him unawares for some time. A Daily Times reporter who happened to be in Timaru went to the railway station about 10 minutes before the arrival of the express, on which he believed *he general to be travelling, in the hope of getting an interview. On the station he saw a red-tabbed staff officer, whose raincoat concealed his badges of rank, and, taking this officer for the local area commander, the reporter approached him and said: " Can you tell me if any reception is being given to the general in Timaru?" "No," replied the officer. "I do not know of any such reception to him." . "Is he going througn to Dunedin on the express?" asked the reporter. " I believe so," was the reply. The Ulooncealed amusement of those to whom the officer had been speaking caused the reporter to look more closely at him and to exclaim: " Why, I believe you are the general himBelf!" It was even so. But General Riohardson had no desire to fall into the hands of a newspaper man. As he said, he was coming to Dunedin on a business trip, and the less notice his arrival excited the better pleased he would be. He is on departmental business, and expects to be very fully occupied during his stay in Dunedin. He is accompanied by Lieutenant A. J. Ridler, his A.D.C., who was with him at New Zealand Expeditionary Force Headquarters in Bloomsbury square, London. A great gathering of soldiers and civilians was assembled on the Dunedin Railway Station on the arrival of the express, and when the general emerged from the first " smoker" the crowd surged towards him with enthusiastic cheers. The Deputy-Mayor (Mr J. J. Clark) was one of the first to shako hands with the general, who was besieged with friends. Officers on the platform were Colonel Cowie Nichols (commanding Otago district), Colonel O'Neill, D. 5.0., Lieutenant-colonel Chalmer, Major Dampen, Major Hickey, D. 5.0., Captain Dyer, and Captain Mead. Dr Harrison (president of the Dunedin Returned Soldiers' Association) was present, and also Misses J. Burt and M. Stewart, of the Otago Patriotic Association. Music was supplied by the Dunedin Highland Pipe Band, under Pipemajor Grant, and the 4th Regimental Band, under Lieutenant George. Lieutenant-colonel Moir was in command of a fine muster of returned soldiers in Uniform, who formed a lane from the train to the street outside, where a carriage, drawn by a six-horse gun team, was awaiting the general. The team was driven by Warrant officers of the Royal New Zealand Artillery, and all of them were Main Body men, under tho command of Warrant-officer Thompson. The team was a splendid one, and the general turnout reflected the greatest credit on the artillerymen. The carriage was driven up Stuart street and along Princess street and High street to the Otago Club, where the general put up. Cheering crowds lined the route and gave him a royal reception as he passed through the streets. At the corner of Stuart street and Cumberland street the Fire Brigade had a triumphal arch, gaily illuminated with coloured electric bulbs, and festooned with bunting. When the carriage stopped outside the club a huge crowd had colleoted, and the general was seized and oarried shoulder high into the building. The peoplo continued to tfheer and clamour for a speech, and the general humoured them by saying a few words.

"I can assure you that I am heartily pleased by my reception," said General Riohardson. "I do not want any publicity, hor do I think I deserve tho great honour you have done me."—(Cheers, and cries of "You do, you do.") "However, I appreciate very much what you have done. I want to meet as many returned soldiers as 1 can one night early in the week. So instead of making a speech now I will ask your president to arrange a meeting of the Returned Soldiers' Association, at which I shall be present, and at which you may hear me and may tell me what you want to say."—(Cheers.) 'General Richardson then called for three cheers for General Russell, which were given with hearty good-will, and then the crowd 'broke out Into wild cheers for General Richardson himself, and sang "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow" till they were hoarse.

TERRITORIAL TRAINING. General Richardson has been gazetted in charge of the administrative services of the Defence Department. His position as general officer in charge of administration will absorb the positions of A.Q.M.G. and adjut-ant-general. General Robin Will, presumably, be general officr commanding in New Zealand, and General Richardson will be Sjcond in command, and will have in his ands the detail work of administration.

"We shall still have to carry on our Territorial training," said General Richardson to a reporter on Saturday, "because, apart from, its value in giving us a body of men easily trained as soldiers in the Qvent of war, its worth is inestimable in making the young manhood of the country physically fit and good citizens." "What do you suggest as a post-war establishment for New Zealand?" the General was asked. That, he said, was a matter on which he had not authority to make a definite pronouncement. However, he thought that two Territorial divisions would probably be trained. A permanent force was not necessary in New Zealand. The existing system was sound, with certain modifications in regard to training. With any Territorial force, of course, highly trained and up-to-dato officers wero essen.tial. The best modification of the existing system would bo to concentrate all the night parades and week-end. parades into a continuous period. How long that period would be remained to be determined.

Probably it wouldj be some three or four months. The men would be concentrated in a certain camp or camps, and it would not be the aim merely to turn out a body of well-drilled soldiers. Military training would be combined with educational instruction. Experience had shown that a period | in camp improved wonderfully the general I physique of the trainee. Every boy who ! was fit to go into camp would go in. 1 Medical and dental treatment would be proj vided, and skilled scientific supervision i would aim at correcting his bodily defects ! and developing him physically and mentally. A boy would enter camp when he left i school, and in addition to the physical trai-n- ---' ing, his education would bo continued, and the inculcation of sane ideals of citizenship I would be attended to. He would _ return home from camp with better physique, a more fully equipped mind, and Bounder ideas of citizenship than when he entered it. The age at which boys would enter upon their course of training etill remained to be determined. NO MILITARISM. ; "We have no desire to inculcate the ■ spirit' of militarism," said the General emphatically. "The finest ideals of citizenI ship are what we aim primarily at in- ; stilling. A sound mind in a sound body—these are the chief factors which make for ' efficient citizenship. Given in addition the ' training on sound ideals which is proposed, ' I am oonndent that the youth of the country will emerge from camp better men and ! more useful citizens than when they entered it. With the system of concentrated trainj ing in operation, there would not be the same need for the evening and Saturday I afternoon parades, which must interfere to 1 some extent with the Territorial's leisure. But I have not formulated any definite . conclusion as to what the subsequent pro- ! cedure should be, after the man has been I through hi 3 concentrated training. I ' 'Can we carry on the training in New Zealand with our own officers, and without further importations?" the General was asked. i "We have plenty of New Zealand officers , competent to command the New Zealand ; Forces," replied the General. "But it is j always advisable to have a system of interi change of staffs, sinoe it is only_ by such interchange that we can get experience and new ideas. Interchange will always be j neoessary to enable us to up-to-date." REPATRIATION FIRST. j "The problem for the moment, however, continued General Richardson, "is not the '■ future oi the New Zealand Forces. _ It is the repatriation of our soldiers, that is what 'we are concentrating upon. The publio are apt to think that the only disabled soldier is he who is minus a limb. But there are numbers of men who have been gassed, or ! who have contracted pulmonary weaknesses, and while their disabiliteis are not so apparent, they are often sufficient to prevent the soldier from roturmnag to his former occupation. In many cases such men look qnito fit, and they are apt to be misunderstood. The Government has set up excellent machinery for the civil establishment of these men.'but no Government can provide for all of thorn. Therefore, the people themselves must recognise the problem and back up the Government. They must lay themselves out "to do their best to get these men put baok into some position suited to their disabilities, so that they may become wage-earners, and useful citizens." "What exactly is required of the public?" asked the reporter. j PUBLIC SYMPATHY NEEDED.

' " Sympathy," said the General. " I think the Government will havo to buy up small sections all over the place. They will have to get houses for these soldiers, and start them in such occupations as poultry-farming, eto. Some scheme of that kind requires elaborating, and money spent in that way would bo reproductive. I have been with, the Repatriation Board in Christchurch, and I hear that the men are settling down splendidly, and that many of them are pleased with the way in which they have been treated. The repatriation boards are doing excellent work. But if would be an advantage if in each district a small bureau were established, where each man could get information as to how to set about the course of action which he desires to pursue in regard to his repatriation. Moreover, men should be urged to embark upon those occupations which they are by previous training, temperament, and physical fitness suited for. I also think it would be a good thing if representatives of the Land Boards and other organisations concerned in the repatriation of the soldiers periodically gave lectures to tho Returned Soldiers' Association. " I am sometimes inolined to think that many of the people do not realise the problem with which they are confronted," continued General Richardson. "They should be willing to forgive any small delinquencies the soldier may commit immediately following his return. But my advice to the ro j . turned soldier is : Get into plain clothes as quickly as possible and get back to work! And my advice to the civilian population is: Helo the soldier back into a job as soon as he is into mufti. The public should try to realise their debt to the soldiers, and to pay for it in a practical way. Don't offer him charity —give him a chance to earn his living! I don't anticipate any difficulty with the fit man. There is a need for labour throughout the country. But the problem of the disabled soldier will be with us for a long time. Wherever I have been. I have been assured by the disabled men that they could not in every case get suitable work. They only want the opportunity and it is up to the public to regard them with sympathy and give j them that opportunity." i MESSAGE TO SOLDIERS.

" What message have you for the Returned Soldiers' Association?" the General

was asked. If the functions of the Returned Soldiers Association are to watch over the interests of the widows and orphans, the disabled, and the wives and children of the disabled," he replied, " and to foster the spirit of comradeship among those who have taken part in the war, then it is the duty of every returned soldier to join it." "It has been suggested that you might enter politics yourself?"' suggested the re-

porter. " Nothing could be more foreign to my nature!" returned the General emphatically.