MILITARY TRAINING.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 112, 3 July 1911, Page 7

MILITARY TRAINING.

The Director of Military training (Colonel E. S. Heard) has addressed a general memorandum on training for the information ol the young men v.ho have, lately been enrolled in Now Eealand’s ciiuen army. Ho urges iiie .supreme importance of demon ljii v training anti discipline, and tiion makes .the following remarks about training ('amps: — “.Since the training during the year is to he progressive, culminating in the seven days' continuous training in camp, it stands to reason that this camp should take place as late ia > the yea: as possible. Each cpiota of yeai men arc posted at tiic same time, in Mn\, to the several units and corps, and these arc to bo brought on gradually to a state of efficiency, so that they may obtain the greatest advantage possible out of their training, in camp with, their unit or corns. There may be cases whore local circumstances and the vocation ol individuals may demand thc_ training of units in camp at other times than at the, 'end of the year. It is possible that, as a special case, this may be on.ceded. Cut it must bo borne in mind that a camp held near the beginning of the training-year cannot he so advantageous for training as at the end, and" for this reason ; At the commencement of the trainingvoar there is a quota of first-year men to be considered, and these_ go into camp with their unit. Their training must be progressive, and they are only at the commencement of it, therefore they cannot take part in tiie higher training of their unit in the hold. But because, during their time in camp, they cannot bo allowed to remain while their unit is carrying out this higher training, a proportion of officers and non-com-missioned officers must lie detached from the unit to train the first-year men. This means that the services of those officers and non-commission-ed officers are lost to the unit, and not only that, but these same officers and non-commissioned officers lose the benefit of the training in the field with their unit which they would have had otherwise. Thus it is obvious that, every effort should be made to postpone the training in camp to as late a date in the training-year as possible, having regard to the convenience of the employer and the vocation of the individual.