“WHAT CAN WE DO?”

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 143, 20 June 1939, Page 6

“WHAT CAN WE DO?”

RETURNED SOLDIERS’ QUESTION NATIONAL RESERVE IN WANGANUI One of the questions put to Colonel E. Puttick, D. 5.0.. officer commanding the Central Military District, by memheis of the executive of the Wanganui R.S.A., yesterday, related to Uw proonbie duties of returned soldier- - who had enlisted in the National Reserve. More than 200 returned men have signed up in Wanganui and Col. Puttick commended the association on its recent demons-rt.iion. He said that Army Headquarter- intended to put bclor? the Government certain considerations as to what' should be done with the force of re- i turned soldiers. He could not an’.d- I pate what would he done, but could tell them what he . ould do within his own military district and di 1 not think that that would in any w k be affected by what was decided later by ihe Government. Forming an U.S.A. I nit. "Take Wanganui as an example.” j he said. "I understand that you have] a good many men in this class of re- j serve. If there are 30 they can be | formed into a platoon, if 200 into a ' company. Officers will be appointed, i not elected, and those officers will sc- 1 lect the best men as leaders, or noncommissioned officers. "We in Ihe Staff Corps and the NewZealand Permanent Staff will have I our hands full in training ihe torri- I torial and other cln. .-es, but some time ' will be found to instruct the officers

and non-commis * otiicui- of th.No. 2 class reserve (retuincd soldiers and men who have served with regular military units*. Colonel Puttick thought that th’ officers and n.c.o.'s vCould find lime to attend a course at the Drill Hall every night for one wook. They would then be able to instruct the platoons of returned soldiers. From time to lime, as instructors could be spared, the actual role the force would have to fill would be taken up. In Wanganui’s case the returned men could constitute a force to guard vulnerable points, such as the freezing works, gasometers, water works His job in Wellington would be to prevent an enemy landing there. So far as that was concerned the task wa • much easier than al Auckland where there were eight or nine places where a landing could be effected. In Wellington there were Iz) likely places. But he couid not afford troops Io be rushed from Wellington to. say. a secondary port like Wanganui, where an enemy boat might attempt Io land a force Io wreck, say, the meal wort: and Ihe gasometers. A Voice: They arc both on the liver. \ ahie of Returned Soldiers : “Yon would have to weigh the posj sibilily of a boat attempting to move up the river with the boar.n.', i: would have on the enemy winning his war.” i he said, “but if such a thing did happen, I am quite sure that 200 of my comrades of the Great War. suitably [armed, would be capable of ptitling a | stop to any move ai'.ag Ihe banks of | the river. If 'iu- < my attempted a ' landing on the open beach, then 1 j think returned mon could keep him at bay until such time as th” trained forces could be moved ’o the spot." Dealing with that aspect of the matter, the colonel said that the aim was to have trained forces concent rat ed. with an ability Io move quickly, to keep .i gt.od look out and, it possible obtain early information of enemy intentions. It was not possible to guard the whole length of coastline, but to have a mobile' force ready to move [against an enemy wherever he attempted to land in numbers. Returned soldiers, by guarding vulnerable points, such as meat, freezing works, the harbour entrance, the gas work 1 -, would free the trained territorial units for quick concentration whc-'e'cr they were needed most.

Roof To Be Changed. The tiled roof of the Jessie Hope Gibbons Home, Wanganui, is to be replaced with corrugated Iron. Cream Turns To Butter. It was reported ci the monthly meeting of the Rangitikci A. and I’ Association on Saturday that three gallons of ci-'am required for the farmers' ball had turned into butt' i through being whipped too much. 11 was not revealed what happened tc the butter, but the meeting decide: |to compensate the caterer for the los> [of the cream which she supplied [Speaking to a reporter yesterday, a housewife pointed out that it was by no means an easy task to whip a large quantity of cream, which wa? liable to turn to butter without warning. It had 1o be whipped almost to turning point and the margin foi error was very small; a fraction toe much whipping and the cream was spoilt, while a shade too little was also unsatisfactory. One had to gauge the whipping 1o a nicety to obtain the best results.