"MILITARISM."

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19166, 24 November 1927, Page 8

"MILITARISM."

THE MAYOR'S FEARS. ALLAYED AT BOY SCOUT CONFERENCE. "If I may be frank enough," snid the Mayor (Mr J. K. Archer) in extending a wo.come yesterday to the delegate:, to the conference of the Boy ticouts' Association, "1 am very igu-r u m oi the inner working of tue Seoul movement, and 1 have regarded it, trom tune to lime, with a certain amount of suspicion lor tear it slioulu be lostenng a spirit of militarism among bur young poople. 1 know that Ulis is a highly aeuatablc .question, but ihere are, in most i.t us, very contraaictory e.omente. By my muional instincts 1 am a fighting man, and 1 don i think that I am ever happier than when in a 'scrap.' \et, at the same time, on the other side of it, in in> attitude towards war I am virtually a Quaker, and 1 generally use what influence I P«*^ s '» tbat «l» rectlol V How " evor, I am very much ob.igcd to my friend the Rev. H. B. Hughes, whom 1 ua.e known for many years, tor some literature bearing on the subject, ami 1 have read it with a good deal oi care and a great deal of interest, and I can see that if your ideals are practised ai;d taught to the youngsters that you are out to make good cit.zens rather than soldiers. (Hear hear,. \ 3 a matter of fact that is what we require. There are so many other things, in these days, brougnt to bcin on our young people that if we can help them to become good men ana good citizens, we are doing a very fine work. (Applause.) If the youi.g iko,)!* set the spirit of service, which is so very strongly inculcated m your books, there is a very promising outlook for the future of this Dominion.' 'Hear, "General Andrew, in thanking the Mavor. Cr. Beanland, and the Town Clerk for their attendance, said that as far as any qualms the 1 Mayor might have had in the past regarding militaristic tendencies of the Scout movement, ho could assure him that they had been altogether unjustified. (Applause.) The term "militarism, like sea power," was, he thoueht, used indefinitely for all sorts of things. "I once attended a church meeting," added General Andrew, "and saw more militarism than I havo seen in the British Army in 30 years. (Laughter.) When I saw the minister and the vestry standinc glaring at each other, I said to mvself, 'lf those fellows only had bludtreons, sticks, or bombs, they would be at it in two minutes.' We. do all wc ran to lav the foundations of citizenship—We are not concerned with training or marksmanshm seeirie, that the Government provides such training. The marksmanshio badge had been deliberately discarded so that parents could not hare the idea that their sons were being taught to use the rifle There is no intention to introduce militarism into the Boy Scout movement."