PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND THE WAR.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16149, 1 March 1918, Page 4

PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND THE WAR.

SIR W. ROBERTSON'S TRIBUTE.

General Sir William Robertson, ex-Uhlef of the Imperial General Staff, recently wrote to the headmaster of Bradfield College apologising for his inability to attend tho celebration of St. Andrew's 3>ay at the college, and asking that his letter should be read to the school. Tho letter runs:— "Wo have entered the - fourth year of a war which has imposed a severer test upon this liation than any it has been called upon to bear in past history. Up to the present time it has stood the test magnificently. This result is due to the inherent qualities of the race, ana more especially t to the quality of leadership, without which no country, however patriotic and devoted, can hope to survive. The majority of men are not. leaders, but are influenced by the few who know what they want and mean to get it, and have acquired selfreliance through, perseverance, training, anl knowledge. These qualities are hard to acquire, but,' having been acquired, there is no limit to what they can accomplish. Comparatively few men are called to a position of great responsibility. In a war such as this it involves greater effort and strain than others in a humbler position have to bear, and very often there is no reward: the work •has to bo done, and little credit is given to the doer of it. I think it may more trulv be said of the public schools tfcan of any other community in this country that they are the great silent service*. In this age of advertisement it is difficult to imagine any higher testimonial than that. Nobody thinks of appealing to the public schools: it trould be an insult. Their services and sacrifices in this war have, I • believe, attracted less notice than any other, and yet nobody has ever heard a complaint or a murmur from them. Such a thing is unthinkable. "1 hope' that neither the boys themselves nor the parents will regret this, however natural it may seem to do so. It should be a subject of pride. The Army knows what it owes to the public schools, the nion in the trenches better than anyone else, and when the time comes to appraise the nation's effort in this war full justice will be done to them. In the meantime they have the privilege and glory of setting an example to others. An 3 until this ■war is over I feel sure that, however great the load they and all those connected with them have to carry, they will continue to display a high standard of duty, self-sacrifice, and fortitude.'' EAT APPLES FOR HEALTH. If people "would eat more apples' there _ would be less sufferers from digestive orders.. The apple is one of tho finest foods known—in fact, it is a food pins a tonic. There is much truth m the old, saying, that. ,T an apple a ,* ec P® the doctor away," and we should all of us enjoy an apple after each meal. Here in New Zealand the finest Mid most delicioustapples are M n ii, an i w Zealanders * should avail themselves of securing this fruit fresh and juicy. • Buy apples—alwavs have a case in the houso, but bo sure they are grown in New Zealand. The < V c ? -,1 a PP Ip ,s better than imported fruit I • r