MILITARY TRAINING.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCIV, Issue 14484, 4 July 1911, Page 6

MILITARY TRAINING.

EFFICIENCY THfc KEV NOTE. AN INTERESINa .MEMi>PuANDT;M. Another indication of A ho thorouglifaraa with which tho new headquarters &tuff ar© douig their v-era iu New Zealand ia turuislwd by tho publication of an interesting and useful memorandum of Colonel £•'. S. Hoard, Imperial General Sfcait* Director of Stair Duties and Military Training. The memorandum is evidently framed with a view to tho conditions prevailing m eunriection witli tho truiiiiug or a citizen army in a country such 'is this. aa Colonol Heard does not, lay down any detailed syllabus of training, but contents luiik*£>lf with putti.ig forward gouorai principles ns a guiclo to assisting district commnuders of units to carry it through at the outlet. Colonel 1 Hoard says lays't down -as * first prin- , ciplo that all training should bo pro- j grcssive, leading up to a.nd el iminating j in the annual oami ot seven duvs con- I tinuuus training If, he say»S efficiency is to be hoped lor this broad principle : must bo steadfastly kept in i«cw by ail : concerned in the training ■){ the forces, j Tho efficiency oi' tin Army h-is its foundations 011 the bedrock of elementary training, ofcherwisa tba destruction is not progressive, the ultl'd.ito results are disappointing. and may, in t;mo of s bring about u disaster more farroaciung in ili» cfl'eeis than may ba n'a-'tio-putoa in timers oi poi-.co. \Ye have to keep cilia all important ;act in vi:\v, tliatf tiiie imderljmg into il.ion of tho pfc&oe training ot an araiy is the ultimate object, ir the necessity arisen, of bringing it into the field in such state of efficiency in organisation, training, eto., as may lead U the cartoon bop© that its operation wiil bo sueessfuliy carried out and its victory oVer an enemy insured, 'j Lis- i£, perhaps a well-worn platitule, but, un* fortunately, it is too oi't&a loj fc sight of and, therefore, can biar repetition. Of this foot thore can bo 210 doubt, tha* wherd 2, country contemplates hostae operations against, another the former will think trace before embark ing on them if the latter i-? in a' high I state of eific.oncy ss regards tho rx?r----1 personnel and material composing* its forces. In consider: ng r.u-e question : training and organisation of the Zealand forces wo remember that any piobabio enemy with whom the Empire may be at grips will be one that has at its command troops -of tho highest efficiency in every .resps?l, a*iJ to meet iuch bo fully pr-epa-rod. Tho necessity for thoroughness in training is emphasised by Colonel Heard, and h esho'.vs clearly thnt all ranks and ho shows cleariy that all rank* v.'ill have to work hard to attain tho end in *new. Iu the past, ho pomta; out, tho training 01 the rano. and filo was too often feft to tlie sergeant instructor, tho officer bem«* satisfied to rele©ato hiraseif to thS position of a» mere lookor-on. This reprehensiblo custom is, he adds, very to l>£> dej>racated. It must be clearly understood that, an the future, th# company commander is to ba responsible for the training of his company. The duty of company commafcdors in instructing their subaltarns and non-commission , ed officers is duly emphasised ns a responsiblo and serious undertaking. One gathen3 from a of the pamphlet that a special course of musketry on the range for the recruits and traine3. soldiers m. tho Now Zealand nnTU tary force 3 is being considered, and will l>3 pubd-sed la&er; also'that tlier® may ba otEcers ard non-commisoion-ed ■offiosrs who require further inSTTUctidn before tliey are t'li-oro-ughly fitted to -take up- tba duties nf train* ing, and Hhat to meet their requirements it will be n€C2£sary for all adjutants to inst-ituta continuous classes or instruction during tho evening, and, v/ith the- assistance of their sergeantmajor instructors, to make every effort to a fiord help to 5-uch officers non-oominisskjiicd officers os may call for it. It is only such practical . moans, combined with a study of the manuals, tliat officers and non-com* missioned officers can. fit thomseives to bocome efficient trainers. On the subject of discipline the Colonel has a good deal to say.