THE DEFENCE SCHEME.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XLII, Issue 5761, 27 July 1910, Page 3

THE DEFENCE SCHEME.

I SELECTION OF OFFICERS. THE i'itliillEll INTER VIEWED. WELLINGTON, J'.uly 21, Interesting reference to matters concerning tho new Uufence seheme was made by Sir Joseph Ward in his capacity as Minister of Defence to the Southland Times representative. .Regarding the appointment of Lieut.Colonel Heard of the Northumberland Fusiliers (which has btfcn cabled) as director of military training and eddcation in New Zealand, Sir .Joseph said that the War Oilice made thu selection ut his request some time ago i and he had already received advice of tho appointment ; but he was waiting for the notification of the selection of a commandant in order to inform the House in ihe usual way. As to the selection of ollicers for the staff under the territorial scheme, Sir Joseph said that the selection was made, by test, and it was expected that the final list of names submitted to him from Wellington and Otago would reach headquarters in a few days. The names of tho best qualified forty ollicers and non-com-missioned ollicers with their records would be sent to the Minister of Defence by tho Chiuf of tho Staff for the linal selection of 28 ollicers and 28 non-commissioned ollicers.

" Thero are many excellent mid qualified applicants," said the L'nme Minister," ami it is' wrong foe the Press to make the assumption that unqualified men will be appointed. No unqualified men will enter the list from which the final selection will he made. The positions to be lilled are those of litfutenants and sergeants, and when they Wave been selected, they will be put through wlnit is known as a refrdsiher course, baler on the necessary appointments of majjors and captains will be made, and 1 propose to bold all of those over until the new commandant arrives. If, as suggested, we had to wait until all the mßn to be appointed passed through a military college, it would be some years before we could get a staff at all. Our experience in connection with young Imperial officers has ) been such t hat I do not propose to take the risk of introducing a number of thum at the present stage. Further, all appointments made now will bo subject to his approval. We could not keep back in the meantime the appointments of Lieutenants and Sergeants, because there is an enormous amount of work to be done by "them us soon as the seloctiou is made.