AUSTRALASIAN DEFENCE

Southland Times, Issue 17627, 16 April 1914, Page 5

AUSTRALASIAN DEFENCE

DOMINION NAVAL ADVISER. CAPTAIN P. HALL-THOMPSON AJPPOINTED. LONDON. April IS. Received April 15, 9.40 p.m. Captaln P. Hall-Thompson has bee*! appointed Naval Adviser to New Zealand. He commands the Philomel on recommission. CHURCHILL’S TACTLESS SPEECH AT THE MERCT OFINCIDENT. LONDON. April 14. The Pall Mall Gazette (U.) stays that? Senator Millen foreshadows a naval policy going further in the direction of particularism than new. “It is impossible to conceive,”’the writer goes on to say, “a more unfortunate result from Mr Churchill’s tactless speech. Although it is to be hoped that the international relationships governing the situation in the Pacific will endure, we cannot ask the co-operation of New Zealand, Australia and Canada In a policy that leave* them at the mercy of an incident.” If the Empire possessed a free margin of naval force it would be easy for strategists usefully to distribute it. PERMANENT BARRACKS RECOMMENDED. (Per United Press Association). AUCKLAND. April IS. In replying to-day to a deputation frortf the Auckland Farmers’ Union, which advocated a permanent defence barracks in place of the present system of periodical camps, the Prime Minister said that no doubt improvements in the Defence Act would be made from time to time, and in this matter the Government, no doubt, would be largely guided by the advice of General Sir lan Hamilton. The difficulty In regard to a permanent barracks was that of expense. The dominion could not afford to pay more than half a million a year for land defence, and It wished to keep it within that limit. When Sir lan Hamilton arrived consideration would be given to the deputation s representations. THE ARMY SERVICE. WELLINGTON. April I*. The army service organisation, a vital branch of the service, in which the New Zealand defence forces were formerly deficient, has now been practically completed. In general orders it is notified that tlie distribution of the companies of the New Zealand Army Service Corps lias been arranged as under; —North Island N. 1 Co. (headquarters and details) Auckland; No. 2 Company (Infantry Brigade) Auckland, Hamilton, Rotorua* and Whangarei. No. 3 Company (Infantrv Brigade) Wellington: No. 4 Company' (Mounted Rifles Brigade), Palmerston North! Napier, Masterton. Hawera. No. 5 Company (ifounted Rifled Brigade independent). Auckland. South Island. —No. C Company (headquarters and details) Invercargill, No, 7 Company (Infantry Brigade), Christchurch, Nelson. Rangiora. and Timaru;. No. S Company (Infantry Brigade), Dunedin; No. 9 Company (Mounted Rifles Brigade), Christchurch; No. 30 Company (Mounted Rifles Brigade independent), Dunedin. Depot companies will be formed lates in Auckland. Wellington. and Otago.