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SECTION I.—THE DOMINION SECTION OF Till: IMPERIAL GENERAL STAFF. 1. Drills and Parades. The majority of Territorial officers realize the importance of attending parades equipped with a well-thought-out plan of training. These officers make the parades interesting and instructive to their men and can ensure good, attendances. In a. few instances this is not the case : the instruction is consequently indifferent, the feeling of confidence which a soldier always requires in his officer is not. present, and the tediousuess and boredom of a lengthy parade becomes such thai the military work becomes distasteful to even keen men. Although this only occurs in isolated instances, the necessity for all officers realizing their responsibility in this matter is evident. One indifferent officer of instructor may result in hundreds of indifferent soldiers There is still a tendency to use drill-halls for work which could be done out-of-doors. The value of the latter as compared with the former is undoubted. Drill-hall practice should be discouraged. Discipline is improving, but much remains to be done in this direction ; particularly is this the case with saluting—that great test of discipline without the observance of which no army can be said to be disciplined and therefore thoroughly efficient. 2. Territorial Training-camps. The annual camps for the year were held by units. In order to interfere as little as possible with civil labour all camps were reduced to seven days, exclusive of the days of arrival and departure. For various reasons it was considered desirable to pay particular attention to the individual training, and a syllabus of work was issued from Headquarters to all units which ensured that it should be carried out in a progressive and systematic manner. Great attention was paid to the elementary training of the recruit. On the whole the weather during the period of the annual camps has been good. The health of those in camp has been excellent. * The localities of camps held throughout the Dominion are given in Appendix ('. Thanks are due to the landowners who allowed the troops to camp and train on their lands. Information regarding these landowners is given in Appendix C (to be furnished later). All units completed their annual training before the end of May. On the completion of the main annual camps, casual camps were held for the instruction of those unable to attend the camps of their units. Every possible endeavour has been made during the training year to enable men to attend camps with as little inconvenience as possible to their civil occupations. A man could elect to attend (a) the camp of his own unit, (b) that of some other unit, or (c) a casual, camp. The greatest care was also taken to ensure that an undue number of men were not taken into camp from one place of employment or business at the same time : for example, the Wellington District afforded sixteen opportunities for men to go into camp. All things considered, the attendances at the annual camps have been satisfactory. The percentage of attendance compares favourably with that of last year, The Commandant and the Chief of the General Staff, owing to pressure of war work, were unable to visit many of the camps. The Assistant Director of Military Training inspected and instructed at the majority. The work seen in camp was good, and all ranks appeared keen and anxious to become efficient. The absence of experienced officers and non-commissioned officers, commented on in last year's report, is still evident in the camps this year. Dining the ensiling period, however, every endeavour has been made by the majority of the officers to become efficient in their duties. The greatest credit is due to these officers and to the depleted staffs in the districts for the efforts they have made to increase the efficiency of their units and departments. The arrangements made for the attendance of Medical Officers at the various camps were satisfactory, and the work performed by the Medical Officers extremely creditable. The sanitary arrangements of all the camps appeared to be excellent. The various religious denominations were represented'at the various camps, and among others the V.M.C.A., C.E.M.S., and the Salvation Army had institutes in the majority of the camps. Thanks are due to them for the work which they did and for the recreation they provided. 3. Training generally of the Territorial Force. Although the Territorial Force has been depleted of a large number of its permanent officers, (hose who remain have made every effort to retain and increase the efficiency of their units. Many ex-officers have rejoined, and vacancies in the junior ranks have been filled by officers of Unattached List (b) and others. The fact that the officers must be held responsible for the instruction and training of those under their command appears to be generally recognized, and with few exceptions the present officers serving with the Territorial Force are fairly efficient in their duties. Every possible endeavour has been made to give these officers instruction in the latest teachings of modern war, and the entire Territorial Force is now training on the identical lines of the Home Army. This is due in a great measure to special courses of instruction which have been held during the year. The Wellington and Canterbury Districts have been particularly successful in the holding of these courses. The work of the officers of the New Zealand Staff Corps and non-commissioned officers of the Permanent Staff in the instruction of the Territorial Force and Cadets has Ikhui exceedingly

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