News in Brief

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 563, 17 September 1932, Page 8

News in Brief

Military Training in Argentina. All males born in the Argentine must serve in the army of that country, even if they go elsewhere before they come of age. This fact was explained by Mr C. F. Belcher, who arrived in Auckland from Sydney by the Zealandia on the way to the country of his birth. Seventeen years of age, Mr Belcher was born in Buenos Ayres, but he has lived in Australia since he was eleven. 44 My people are in the Argentine, but- even if they were not there I would have to return,” he said. Youths were compelled to enrol on reaching the age of eighteen. When they became twenty-one they commenced their military training. The period of training, he said, varied according to whether a recruit had had previous training in a cadet corps and his efficiency after a year in barracks. Mr Belcher said that an elder brother had left Australia to enrol two years ago, and a younger brother would have to do the same in a year or so. “ The Argentine is a young country, with no motherland, and the idea is a good one from the country’s point of view,” he said. 44 Personally lam not too keen about it.”