NEW OFFICERS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 24, 5 March 1914, Page 8

NEW OFFICERS.

FOR DOMINION DEFENCE FORCES Charting with a SUN representative this" morning, the Hon. James Allen, Minister of Defence, said: "Some remarks which I made in Dunedin have been misread. One of the Christchurch morning papers says that three fresh military staff appointments are to be made. But they are not fresh appointments. That is to'say, no new positions are being created. The position is merely that three fresh officers are coming out to replace three officers whose times are up. The times of five or six officers who have been sent out from England are expiring. Wherever possible, we are filling their places with New Zealand officers, but we cannot fill all the blanks ourselves yet, and the War Office is making arrangements for three English officers to be sent out to replace three who are returning to England. Colonel Robin, who is a New Zealand officer, will replace Colonel H. O. Knox, Quarter-Master General, and another officer will replace Colonel E. S. Heard, Chief of the General Staff and Director of Military Training. Major Richardson and Major Gardner, of the Artillery branch, will return from England at the end of the year. The point I wish to emphasise is that no new appointments are being created." »