EXPEDITIONARY FORCE

Southland Times, Issue 17495, 26 April 1915, Page 6

EXPEDITIONARY FORCE

SIX TIH ifSA.VM MKM WANTED BEFORE J UNK. STATEMENT BY MINISTER OF defence. ; CHAISE FOR TERRITORIALS. (Per United Press Association.! WEE LI NOTON, April I’-i. ! "The new artillery units, the offer of i which has b<*on accoptfMl by tho Imperial i authorities. are now in camp at Trent- j ham and have commenced trainingr.” said j tho -Minister of l>etVnc<\ The wliole oC| the non-commissioned officers and the | majority of tho officers required for tho | new infantry battalions will brought ; into camp next Wednesdny. and it is j hoped all officers will arrive in camp I within the. next fortnight. Both oflicers i and non-commissioned officers will he put | through a thorough course of prelimin- ! ary training. j "Our previous experience with rein- j forcemcnts.” said the .Minister, “has shown tliat this preliminary course of training is essentia!. When the officers and non-commissioned officers have completed their course of training at tho | I end. of May other ranks required will be j brought into camp and will undergo a j full four months’ course. Intending re- j cruits are registering in satisfactory j numbers, but a considerable increase in , the rate of registration in many districts ‘ is still desirable. Four thousand re- j emits will be required for the now bat- | j talions and for tho 7th reinforcements by the middle of June. This means, takI ing into consideration the average numI her of rejections by tho medical officer, ! that at least tiOOO men must register j within the. next six weeks, hut this is not the limit. After Juno the succeeding | 1 drafts will be called up, and the more names registered the better. It would be of great assistance to the Defence authorities if men would put down their names so as to allow sufficient time for their medical examination to be carried out. and that they may be ready to come up when required. “Particular emphasis should be laid on the importance of men not throwing up their appointments until they aro called up. Any attempt to force the hands of the Defence Department to take men before they aro required is to be strongly deprecated. Clothing, tents, hats and equipment in general are limited. Most Important of all the instructional staff is limited and must be utilised to tho best advantage. This can only be done by the men going up in batches at regular, stated intervals to go through a definite course. The Chief of the General Staff has worked out a course of training for every unit, week by week, including leave, and it is necessary that his plan should be carried out. By working on those lines large bodies of men can be efficiently trained by the instructional staff, which would he entirely inadequate to deal with a similar number coming in at all times. “In addition to this I would like to make a few remarks about our training staff. This is not the only work they have to do. It is our bounden duly lo keep tiiq territorial forces up to as high a pitch of proficiency as possible. It is with groat pleasure that I report that ex-volunteer officers and non-commission-ed officers are coming to our assistance in this respect. It is also a great pleasure for me to have to report that the training of territorials in’ camp lias been most gratifying, both to the staff and myself. .1 recently visited the camps at Levin and ivarori. I can only say that the spirit prevailing among the officers is excellent. The conduct of the men is exemplary and the training all that one could desire. Under the circumstances I think that they are doing splendidly.”