9

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divisions ; and fleet exercises carried out annually on a large scale, would give opportunities for acquiring experience, would produce interchange of ideas, and would promote competition. Officers and men in each unit, squadron, or division would see for themselves how they compare in efficiency with the remainder. 29. One fact must ever be borne in mind, however —viz., that first-class efficiency in the Naval Service can only be produced by hard work and continuous training, whether it be connected with the handling of ships and fleets, gunnery, torpedo, mining and engineering work, seamanship, or signalling; and that a fighting service on which so much depends can never be satisfied with anything less than the highest efficiency. 30. A chapter has been devoted to the important subject of discipline, as it is felt that this is a matter to which special attention is necessary at the present time in view of the general unrest which has resulted from, the strain of prolonged war. Throughout all ages it has been accepted as an axiom that no armed force can exist without discipline. The only real difference of opinion that can exist is as to the method by which discipline is first acquired and then maintained. Many of those who cry out most vociferously against discipline are themselves inclined to enforce it by the most drastic methods to gain their ends. 31 Accepting, then, that discipline is essential to armed forces, the only question that arises is the method of instilling discipline into the personnel of the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy, and of maintaining it. Unquestionably this should not be done by undue severity, but by other and better methods which almost unconsciously breed the sense of duty and the spirit of discipline, especially in the young. For this reason officers and men should be entered at an early age. Discipline is instilled with comparative ease by those who understand the temperament of the young, and it is therefore essential to select with great care those who will have the upbringing of the future generations of naval officers and men belonging to the Dominion. Once, however, these trainers of youth are selected it is essential that so long as their action is correct they should be supported by authority, as nothing can be more fatal to discipline than action tending to bring into disrepute the head of any training establishment on a disciplinary question. I will conclude my remarks on this subject by quoting the words of FieldMarshal Sir Douglas Haig on the subject of discipline in his final despatch : — " Discipline has never had such a vindication in any war as in the " present one, and it is their discipline which most distinguishes our new " armies from all similarly created armies of the past. At the outset the ' lack of deep-seated and instinctive discipline placed our new troops at " a disadvantage compared with the methodically trained enemy. This " disadvantage, however, was overcome, and during the last two years the " discipline of all ranks of our new armies, from whatever part of the ' Empire they have come, was excellent. Born from a widespread and '' intelligent appreciation of the magnitude of the issues at stake, and the " firm belief in the justice of our cause, it drew strength and permanence " from a common-sense recognition of what discipline really means —

2—A. 4.