THE SECOND DIVISION.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LX, Issue 17078, 4 September 1917, Page 5

THE SECOND DIVISION.

THE BOY OFFICER QUESTION

GOVERNMENT MEETS THE

SITUATION

<Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Sept. 3. The^ Central Executive of the Federated Second Division Leagues recently made representations to the Minister of Defence pointing out the undesirableness of officering drafts of married men with youths, and a reply has been received, from Sir James Alien as fol- ; lows : — n. "I am in receipt of your letter Vf otli August; conveying copies of resolutions' (2) passed by the National Second Division Leagues at a meeting held on the 23rd inst., respecting the officering of Second Division drafts. In reply, I have to inform you that in Respect to the first resolution the officers will consist of a proportion of Territorial officers who are themselves in the Second Division and of mature age and experience. : As is the regulation at the present time, no officers of the Territorial Force who have had less than 12 months' service and are under 23 yoars of age, will be appointed as officers for the Second Division drafts. Respecting .the second resolution, in June last the General Officer Commanding the New Zealand Expeditionary Force was given authority to return from the front 20 officers per month who have been tried actually in the firing line, to assist in training reinforcement drafts in New Zealand, and to command units proceeding on active service. These officers are now becoming avSaalble regularly, and as the establishment of infantry officers per reinforcement' draft ,is 31. there would appear to be no necessity to establish, a special officer training class at once for* the training of Second Division offecers. In addition to the 20 returned officers per month, a certain number of commissions are granted to non-com-missioned officers and men, on approval of the General. Officer Commanding the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, Avhich number will be further augmented by the appointment to commissions of non-commissioned officers of the Second Division prior to departure from New Zealand.