CADETS-MARK TIME.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 601, 1 September 1909, Page 9

CADETS-MARK TIME.

> ■ Sir.-rl, wad.' with .'-great' interest •' tho article ]! by >: .'j3che]6p".:in;;'riiE •Dojiinjom of August- 30 ro|ftjdinsji;aining..o£xadets. .longAe'en: V, apparent; that ''tho ■ cadet' movement has been hused for political-purposes,-and that/ as .at :.A;, prosciitvcarried, out, :lt-ia'more-bf a sham than. most . .people irhagirio, for while these boys are paraded for'-,show., purposes,.on important - occav siqus as /.object' lessons.' of ' what -is icing 'done. ; forj:defence 'in this' country, 'it'.is well Jcnoivn thiit tha cadet movement is of no valuo~ what- -. eror, as;;a.'.defence organisation, for. the fol--1 lowing'reasons:— - - It has not filled up the ; ranks of the volunteer forces. • • _ '

■: It'- has.not Umprovcd ; ',tha physique of our boy's, nor- has' it taught them discipline,'patriotism, .or : ;their duty,to'their . In . Sweden,';, where (every; boy, is -physically '.trained -while.at school,-wo have • had■ an exi. nfh'ple.. of ;,n nation .being raised from tho -'lowest j .to,the.highest-standard qf-average;physique inl Europe. :.,Our.'physical.'.training' consists- of marching- boys round a school play- , ground,' with'.dummy, rifles on their shoulders, and .loarhingito.' do..company Evolutions, ,with, ; ' ?erhaps,,grcatoripreo)sion than our volunteers. This is of no'value Ho'them, whatever.' Many fathers of boys in Now' Zealand havo Teason to -regret,that the cadet movement.has' been made a substituto, for physical training,- and that wraps'-'of; so-callcu training are held, where .these..small, boys aro'expected, to learn '.'. tho ■ duties of .soldiering, such 'as sentry-go,"-"ont- . post.'duty, and' other foolish ■ duties ,ar night, necessitating '-needless.': exposure ,and,risk .of sickness. :"Trulythis is "playing soldiers" with ... avvengeance.... I. contend :thnt the .earliest age .-fdr'oadet training, should be sixteen years, and that it,should bo compulsory, and part of our defonce system. In each district cadets should ■ be:under and trained by'the, regular j'instructorn .and tho district. staff,, ana officered by competent;men. '-"Echelon's" suggestion that the public school^cadets' should be trained ,as .. scohts is very sound. Some time ago I saw that nn officer of tho Defence Department had.been lecturing to the Boy Scouts of Wellington,' .'. and,that , ; his' remarks" dealt largely -with tho ■.; building lip.' of- their character, powers .of, ob-. . servatiqn," and physique, rather than the teach-' ; i'ngVof. evolutions...' His,' remarks excited ■my :, curiosity, :and I bought- one'of Baden-Powell's •books on-"Boy Scouting.". ,1 am'naw,'a con- . .vert, to .tho Boy Scout, movement,-which is ; destined to dp. more good to the British nation than-any other movement I know of. I trust that tho 1 scheme outlined'by.'"Echelon" will be", taken up by tho Defence-'authorities, and that they will cease to play the game of soldiers in such a foolish way. A largo proportion of tho young men of to-day are too fond : of-cigarettes, too fond of "looking,on" at footDn'll,;and.not.imbued,with;a true sense of duty , to their otherwise wo would not have each in'getting "men- to join the ; volunteers,;and in.getting them to'stay, after thsy do join. The public school cadet movement as.at prcsont carried out will not remedy .those- evils,. but.,r earnestly believe 'that the - scheme loutllncd by your contributor will.—T. am",' etc.; . .'-.-;■ _■;_..-,, •','■: iOF -TWENTY.' YEARS' . -■■>:;■'_' : "'■ SERVICE.. ,-"■■ " ; -