OUR TERRITORIALS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 15, 8 May 1914, Page 3

OUR TERRITORIALS.

INTERESTING COMMENTS. T'he impression left after a chat with General Sir lan Hamilton is one of admiration for his kindly and unassuming personality, which is hut poorly disguised by the air of keenness, alertness, and quick decision, gained during a long life of active soldiering. A representative of the Christchurch “News” was fortunate enough to have a chat with the General on his .journey up from Christchurch, and, as was practically inevitable, the conversation first turned upon Sir lan’s impressions of what he had seen in New Zealand. CRITICISM RESERVED. “T fear that I cannot make any really serious military criticisms for the purposes of publication,” said the General, “because, you see, I have first to make a report to your Government, and 1 do not think it would do to give away the material of the report before it has first been handed to the authorities. I intend, in that report, to make a complete statement, and it is probable that the Minister may think lit to publish it later on. As a matter of fact, it would he hardly fair at this stage of my visit to make criticisms, nor should 1 care to compare your work here with the work done in Canada and Australia. I can say, however, that I am delighted with the physique and stamina of the troops that I have seen so far in this Dominion, and I might make a comparison with Australians that could be made by any globe-trotter—namely, that the Australians seem to be a little more lanky, and not so squarely built as the New Zealanders. I can also say that during the long tour I have had, that I am not disappointed with what J have seen: oiythe contrary, I have been delighted with the general good quality of the work done, and the remarkable progress made. I was very pleased with Matarae, and I consider that the troops there carried out the advanced work given them to do in a highly creditable manner.

PRAISE FOR GUNNERS. “New Zealand does not lack gunners of an excellent class, and the type of men that come forward to this arm of the Service is a very good one, indeed. Artillerymen are almost always Enthusiastic; the drivers are lovers of horses, and keen about their animals, while those of the mechanical turn of mind naturally are keen on handling the guns. From what I have already noticed in Xew Zealand, 1 can see that your men can drive and can handle guns, and you have some fine batteries 1 . , AIR-CRAFT. . i i i j f«i i c*iWMr r» “At the present time I should not like’’tb make a definite pronouncement with regard to air-craft, but I think it would be a pity to neglect this branch in Australasia. If a nation t,-an hold its land and its waters within the three-mile limit it might just as well hold its air.

j DUNTROON COLLEGE. “Yon people are lucky in being able to solid your young officers to such an excellent college as the Duntroon Military College in Australia. I think it is a splendid place, and I was much interested during the visit I paid to the institution. I took particular care to inquire into the workng of the College, and I found everybody happy, healthy, and convinced that he was making the best use of his time. I made special inquiries while there to lind out if the New Zealanders who wore sent there suffered from being relegated to a special clique among themselves, but I am happy to state that there is nothing of the sort apparent. I found that men chummed together according to what their “year” happened to be, and there was absolutely no friction between Australians and New Zealanders, and no distinctions made whatever. I have had quite recent experience of Kingston Military College in Canada fand this place 1 may explain is not purely a military^college, as some of the pupils are trained as civil engineers I and follow civil occupations), which is supposed to bo the best in Canada. ( I 1 also know' West Point, Sandhurst, Woolwich, and also some of the bigger colleges on the Continent, and I may say, without flattery, that in Duntroon you have a college second to none. This sounds like a sheer compliment, but in my opinion it is the truth.”

COMPULSORY TRAINING, It was wth some diffidence that the pressmen touched on the subject ,of compulsory training, but General Hamilton at once consented to talk about the vexed question. “1 don’t intend to enter into polemics on the subject, but the conditions at Home and out here are entirely different. There are technical objections to conscription in the United Kingdom that don’t exist here at all. We have to enlist .‘IO,OOO recruits every year at Home, who have to hind themselves for 12 years’ professional service in any other part of the world. Our hold on Kgypt, India, the Cape, South Africa, and other places depends on our getting'these men, who are necessary for garrisons, and also must be had for expeditionary forces, which are capable of being sent anywhere. We only get them now by the skin of our teeth, so think what the effect would be on that recruiting market of giving to our young men 4 or„..(l months’ training between the ages of 18 and I!) years, this being just at the time when live-eighths of our recruits are obtained for the permanent force. “Your conditions here are very far removed from conscription; in fact, the service is so light, that to think of

calling it conscription is absurd. I admit that there are hardships in the Continental style of conscription, for a young man is taken for extended peiiods just when he needs to he stalling to make a living for himself, hut 1 cannot see what there is to cavil about at the mild and sensible way in which the Australasian colonies are tiding to cope with the question of defence. You start with the boys/ who gain a great deal physically and morally, and vet do not suffer the same loss ns tne taking of a man would entail. !he bulk of the drudgery or the service is done with early, and the little that is demanded of your citizen soldiers or Territorials cannot justify anybody in calling that service conscription.