OUR DEFENCE FORCES.

West Coast Times, 21 April 1911, Page 4

OUR DEFENCE FORCES.

GENERAL GODLEY’S COAST TOUR

FAVOURABLY IMPRESSED. CHRISTCHURCH, April, 18. - Major-General Godley who arrived in Christchurch after having come through the Nelson, Marlborough, and VVestland districts was impressed with; the spirit which exists in that part of. tho Dominion. Ho found many persons willing and even anxious to help him, loading citizens coining forward and offering assistance. During his visit to Reefton, for instance, tho sum of £4OO was subscribed in one night towards the cost of erecting a drill hall in the town, and the money was paid into the bank. The managers of coal mines and gold mines were spe-' - daily sympathetic and helpful. The same feeling was displayed by tho men employed in the mines. The material for the Territorial army in that part of the Dominion is described by the General as distinctly good, and he is convinced that the West Coast miners offer good possibilities in regard to efficient and generally excellent soldiers. Ho finds that .as employers of all kinds of labour are recognising that every effort will be made to study their convenience difficulties are not likely to be placed in tho way of employees being registered in v the ranks. The wishes of the authoritiesNto meet both, employers and employees in this respect will be made quite clear in the now regulations which it is hoped will be issued during the next two months. In the meantime, the General is greatly pleased with- the cheerful and ready response that is being made to the call for registration. In, the course of his conversation with a “Lyttelton Times” intereviewer ho said that tho people here hardly realised what the new scheme would mean to tho young men of the country, and to the country itself. New Zealand was establishing its army. The Territorials here would occupy a position which they did not occiipy in the Old Country where there were a regular army and a special reserve in front of the Territorials. Tho status of tho new Territorial citizen officer of New Zealand would bo exactly the same as the status of a regular officer. The permanent staff and other officers who had come out fi’om Home were really merely helpers of the citizen army. New Zealand was the pioneer of the British Empire in regard to complete compulsory training. It was not compulsory at all in the Old Country, and Australia had begun only with the cadets. The full scheme Now Zealand had adopted, therefore, had a special interest from both a military and a civil point of view, and it was a pleasure to him to he associated with such a notable movement.

The General spoke at great length at the Officers’ Training Camp at the Waimakariri. He said that hc was well satisfied with the arrangements which are on the linos of those at tho Central Headquarters Camp; at Tiiherinikau, near Wellington, a short time ago. Later on ho saw both mounted and infantry drill.

On his West Coast tour he saw .the Blenheim and Picton Infantry 'Companies which belong to the 13th North Canterbury Battalion and one of the squadrons of the 10th Nelson Mounted Regiment. At Nelson ho saw three companies of the 12th Nelson Infantry Battalion, and another squadron of the Nelson Mounted' Regiment. At Westport, Reefton and Hokitika he saw more infantry companies, and at Westport a company of garrison .artillery. Ho also inspected - the harbour defences at AVestport and the Greymouth' and Hokitika Harbours. He thinks ithat tho plan of having the guns at AA 7cst-poi-t on trucks in order that they-might be run out along the jetties, is an excellent one.

MILITARY CAMPS. SYDNEY, April, 20.—Some 16,000 men are attending tho various Easter encarnpments throughout the Commonwealth,