OUR DEFENDERS.

Colonist, Volume LV, Issue 13775, 16 July 1913, Page 7

OUR DEFENDERS.

11EMAHKABLE INCREASE IN

FOUR YEARS

5,000 UP TO 21,000

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

Wellington, July 15

in 1&09 tlio Tnsncctor-Gencrai of tho. Detcnce Forces reported in regard to the o>lc\v Zealand defender.-* of that date:—"l am quite confident that I am \\cll within tho mark in saying that not' more than a total of 5000 officers and men of the field force have-done any work in tho- field in daylight during tho year." ' - In 101.3 Major-General Godley, at tho head of tiio Territorial scheme of universal military training, is able to state in. :his annual icporb submitted to .Parliament: ''I have the honour to Ftato that 18,687 officers and men havo. ljGL'n trained at an annual camp (17,831 of them i'or two .>cars), and havo perionned the number of parades and drills required throughout the year (some by means of extra time in tamp); that these officers and men have .now all a rudimentary knowledge of field .training ; ..that 1582 of thorn ■have fired at' least; one course of musketry (seme have done more); and that in a case of emergency it would ba possible to augment the units from .tiho ex-volunteers and ex-South African rbntingentors by about 25-00. specially s alec ted officers and men ; who have all hvAl so-mo experience of soldiering, and thus place about. 21,000 men in the field." ■■■"■

The General is of opiaioti that the only, serious .deficiency in the forces in cisc- of war would be transport; otherwise, as for training and 'equipment, ho is well satisfied that they would give a good account of themselves before an invading enemy.

As for the cost of the scheme-, General Godley expresses confidence' that when the initial expenses of .equipment are paid, the expenditure can bo> keptdown to Lord Kitchener's estimate of £471,000 per annum. It is shown that tho prosecutions during the currency of the Act have totalled 27,000 (sic), of which 3,439 eases were for abstention from, or obstruction of, parades. Imprisonment or detention was imposed on 78 occasions. Tho detail^ of registrations show that--12,141 youths of service age- arc- not ia training, but only 906 are classed as unaccounted for. Th-3 report cin])hasise.s the need'for special attention being paid to evasions through changes of rosfdenco, as upon the* satisfactory solution of this question ' tho future success of' the scheme greatly depends.