27

H.—l9

(c.) Seven days' annual training in camp (exclusive of the 'lays of arrival and departure). (d.) Prescribed course of musketry. Reserve. Two half-day parades or their equivalent with a Territorial unit or company. Senior Cadets, (a.) Fifty drills. (b.) Six half-day parades, (c.) Prescribed course of musketry. Rifle Clubs. Prescribed course of musketry. A drill in the Territorial Force is U hours' continuous instruction. A drill in the Senior Cadets is I hour's continuous instruction. A half-day parade is 3 hours' continuous instruction. A whole-day parade is G hours' continuous instruction. An out-of-door parade may be carried out in the evening and will not be devoted entirely to drill, but will include route marching, outposts by day and by night, entrenching, signalling, driving, &c, and such work as cannot conveniently be carried out in-doors. In the case of Artillery and Technical Corps ths proportion of out-door parades may be reduced at the discretion of the C.O. The principle is that the drill-shed should be avoided as far as possible. The above scale is not really as formidable as it looks, and the drills, parades. Sec, are interchangeable and convertible — i.e., in the case of mounted units in farming districts, who wish to make their training progressive and find difficulty in doing so owing to the members being widely scattered, there will be no objection to their being assembled at convenient times for a week or so in place of some of the drills or parades; and it is to be noted that the six whole-day parades can be accomplished in two week-end camps of three days each, or in six Saturday afternoons between the hours of 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. At the same time it must Ijc remembered that to Ire of the best value, training should as far as possible be continuous throughout the year. It has been decided that this is the irreducible minimum that must be performed if the Force is lo be efficient. It is little enough, but with their boyhood's training, their favourable surroundings, and their natural aptitude for the work, there is every reason to believe that the men of this country will make really good and efficient soldiers. The Territorial Force. It must be remembered that the New Zealand Territorial Force is the first line of defence of the Dominion after the Imperial Navy. Its position cannot lx j fairly compared with that of the Territorial Force in the United Kingdom, which has the Regular Army and Special Reserve in front of it. The New Zealand Territorial Force must be able to take the field at once on the outbreak of war. It is the New Zealand Army; and the permanent officers of the Staff Corps, the permanent regiment of the Royal New Zealand Artillery, and the warrant and N.C. officers of the Permanent Staff are its auxiliaries to control, guide, and instruct it. The Territorial Force will be about 30,000 strong, and will be organized in field and coast defence units with practically the same establishment for peace as for war. In each of the four military districts into which the Dominion is divided there will be a brigade of Infantry, a brigade of Mounted Rifles, and a brigade of Field Artillery, as well as the necessary number of Garrison Artillery for coast defence (three companies each in Wellington and Auckland, and one company each at Dunedin, Lyttelton, and Westport), a field company of Engineers, and Medical units and other Departmental troops. An Infantry Brigade will include four Battalions and a Signal company; a Mounted Brigade, three regiments of Mounted Rifles ami a Signal company: and a Brigade of Artillery, two four-gun batteries. The Force will be fully armed and equipped according to the most modern standard; the men will be uniformed by the State, and will be paid and rationed during the Annual Camp. The units of the Force will be commanded and trained by their own officers, assisted by the Staff Corps, the Permanent Force, and the Permanent Staff. The Regimental Commander will have plenty of professional soldiers to help him and to relieve him of administrative duties, but no one to interfere between him and his regiment. The officers will be drawn from the ranks on the recommendation of Commanding Officers, and will be appointed, promoted, and retired in accordance with definite regulations calculated to insure their efficiency and their status. The Senior Cadets. The unit of organization and training in the Senior Cadets will k' the company of Infantry. Companies composed of cadets belonging to any school or other recognized organization (such as the Boy Scout.-1 will form part of thai school or organization, and be subject to its discipline supplemented by the Regulations. In dealing with such companies and in the appointment of their officers, the military authorities will co-operate with headmasters and with the heads of such other recognized organizations. Tbe Senior Cadets will be officered by officers holding Territorial commissions on the Unattached List, with the same qualifications and liabilities as other Territorial officers. In order to simplify the control of cadets, it has been decided by the Ministers ( ,f Education and Defence that for training purposes (not registration—all over II must register) all pupils attending primary schools will be considered Junior Cadets, and all pupils attending secondary schools will be considered Senior Cadets, irrespective of their ages.