The Star. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1915. EDITORIAL NOTES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11578, 23 December 1915, Page 4

The Star. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1915. EDITORIAL NOTES.

COMMISSIONS IN THE FORCES. The statement that returned soldiers aro not allowed to sit for commissions in , tho New Zealand Expeditionary Forces cannot but bo regarded with astonishment by the public. The prohibition against the returned man is one of those amazing specimens of officialism, ;th at no one can understand. The cjtepai-tmental side is that men on active service must get-their commissions on the field; they cannot sit for them in New Zealand; hut why this should be so no one attempts to explain. Someone, or other in authority has willed it, • and, that's all there is about it. A returned! soldier, a man who has been - through the terrible mill of war, who has faced bullet, shell, mines and all the Weapons of modern, war, who has ■lived in the trenches; and skirmished over the d'eath-swept hills, should bo a fitter officer, other things being equal, iK&n.' a young New Zealand recruit ■who has never heard a shot fired) in anger, and -who, perhaps, lias had a , few;.<weeks or, at the outside, a few moil-ths' military work in all his life. Officialdom, however, says no. These soldiers who are already veterans in knowledge of war must give way to the untried men; they aro not even permitted to sit for examination to prove their fitness or otherwise for commissioned 1 rank.

: This grievance inevitably will assume ■ greater dimensions as the months go on and: the number of invalided soldiers grpws. Many of these men will be able to return to the front, and it is not only just to them, but is of the utmost importance to the efficiency of the reinforcements, that they should- be given encouragement to re-enlist and to work up-to a command. The percentage of commissions granted in the actual field t is very small indeed, and it is an unn d'oubted fact that excellent men are I being |hut out by this office-made ar|H bitrary rule. Those who have some acquaintanCe with the working of the ' * training camps, or who have watched the announcements of commissions are by no means satisfied that the best /■V methods are being adopted' to officer the " who have had little volunteering or Territorial experience, or none whatever, have been given commissions as lieutenants after a few weeks in camp, and these are the officers who "will have ■jn&ny men's lives in their keeping on jtctire service. Tho main consideration the efficiency of the forces, and this >Bj«icrt is not likely to be attained by shutting out experienced; men on an ab.snfd technicality. RECRUITING. 1 -' The recruiting scheme which the Prime Minister has prepared must be judged on the results attained, but in the meantime it should be welcomed as the first practical step the Government lias "TaTien to obtain recruits. If it is backed by enthusiasm and worked efficiently—if, as the Governor has stated, ■ tact and .common-sense are shown—then Tve feel confident that it will procure the men necessary to keep our forces up to the required standard. It lis a- relief to turn away from tho uninspired cry of the conscriptionist to this constructive effort to ensure the success of the voluntary system. Some people talk about the voluntary system beirig a failure when little or nothing has-been done to make it a success. Mr' £ Massey's scheme is along right linos! and just as an organised effort has-silenced the conscriptionists in the Old Country so a proper recruitiug. system hero will enable the Dominion to fulfil its obligations. S'j. ' .Atid now that a recruiting scheme has been launched those at tho head of 'affairs may find time to consider other matters in connection with recruiting. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of men who cannot get away because of family tics. The maximum ailoAvance they can can make their dependents falls short of what is required. Discussing this point the London "Daily Express" said: "Lord Derby warjits every man he can get-. Many thousands of the beet of our manhood •frill be denied him if wo do not make it possible for the men to go without gnawing fear in their hearts for those they leave behind them. It can be done for u. voluntary army: it would have to be done if conscription were . decided upon.," Some may answer that the Patriotic Funds will assist I dependents, -but that does not appeal jto many men. They want- to provide .' for' their dependents themselves. Tho

State needs their services and the State should make provision far the dependents. In the infornmion placed at its disposal by tho registration cards the Government should bo able to ascertain just how many men are placed in tlvis position and then it should devise some method of assisting them. It may cost us much money, but who will begrudgo it? This and every possible effcrt must be made before New ZeaJand roaches day when she sends conscripts to fight her battles.

THE AUSTRALIAN'S DISCIPLINE. The cablegrams from Sydney and Melbourne paint the Australian soldier unflatteringly, so far as discipline and orderliness arc concerned, and go to strengthen and confirm tho impression the world has already formed that the Commonwealth warrior is a free-and-easy fellow, who has no fear of God or man, and mighty little respect for his officers. Tho cheerful Australian who calls General Bmlwood " Birdy " to his face, a.nd the other in the training camp who digs his captain in tho. ribs and asks, "How's it for a bit o' leave, governor?" are typical samples of the colonial soldier, who is neither awed i by rank nor restrained by fear of tho guard-room. Tho officers of the training camps havo had a most trying tem-per-wearing task in reducing to something like order tho utterly undisciplined material from bush and farm and town, and the humours, of the day's work are but poor compensation for the apparent hopelessness of instilling a proper respect for authority into tho independent self - sufficient recruit. But there is the greater compensation in the fruits of it all, in the actual results in the firing line, in tlio shattered ranks still held together by the bonds of true manliness and grit, in the ability not only to fight but to suffer and to die uncomplainingly. The Austral ian may call his general " Birdy " with a, grin, but he is the man upon whom that general can depend to the uttermost ; ho is competent, and he is unafraid, and those are the finalities that count in" tho long run.

THE PEOPLE'S FOOD. Auckland lias begun one of its periodical crusades against the contamination of food exposed for sale, and its example could profitably bo followed by Christ-church, whose conditions are scarcely less detrimental to perishable goods than are those of the northern, city in these days of dust ana flies and warm breezes. Auckland indeed feels the dust plague less than we do in Christchurch, and it is free from such unpleasant hot winds as those that come, down across our plains. The great summer plague in tho north it, flies, and to the contamination of fooLl by flies is attributed much of the summer sickness especially among children. In Ghristchurch we have had a "swot that fly" campaign, but it. needs renewal every summer. Meat in particular is exposed to serious spoilage by flies, and it is scarcely p9ssible to pass a butcher's shop without being compelled t6 the belief ' tliat much more could be done to protect the food offered for tho public's consumption. The sight of some butchers' shops this hot weather, with fronts open to tho dusty street, is enough to force many a passer-by to forswear moat and confine himself to vegetable diet while the warm spell lasts. Other articles suffer, but meat most of all. The remedy lies to a certain extent in official control and regulation of the shops, but to a greater degree with the tradesmen themselves.

FROM THE RANKS. Lieutcnant-Gener.nl Sir William Robertson, ivho has been recalled from. France to fill the position of Chief of the Imperial General Staff, rose from the ranks. He first joined a cavalry regiment, and he has won his way by sheer merit'. If any difficulty presented itself he set himself to study it, and to-day he is not only a clever linguist, he is a recognised authority on foreign military organisation. Sir William saw service in India and South Africa, and then was specially selected as commandant of the Staff College, 1 a post requiring attainments of a very high order. When war broke out Sir William Robertson became Quarter-master-General of the British Expeditionary Force, and Viscount French's despatches show how ably ho discharged his duties. When Sir Archibald Murray,' owing to ill-health, was forced to relinquish the post of Chief of the General Staff of the Expeditionary force, Sir William Robertson succeeded him, and now he returns- to Loudon to iill a position of great importance. It has been said .of thq, new Chief of the Imperial General Staff that " ho has an iron constitution, no nerves, and nothing disturbs him."