UNIVERSITY AND MILITARY SCIENCE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 726, 27 January 1910, Page 4

UNIVERSITY AND MILITARY SCIENCE.

Wβ think that on ihe whole the University Senate would have done better if it had : not pledged itself after such brief consideration to the inclusion of "military science" as an optional subject in the courses for the B.A. and B.Sc degrees. -Good reasons were adduced by the Hon. Mr. Tole' in support of his amendment that whilst favourably regarding the proposal, , the Senate should defer its adoption until further information was obtained. His suggestion that the Senate should refer the' matter to Loed Kitchener, who will : soon be in the Dominion, before committing itself to a decisive course, deserved to be entertained. In the first place it is impossible' for the University" to teach' "military science." It might be a good thing for the University to teach military history, but that is quite a different thing. The University of Oxford has established a Chair of Military History, whose first occupant, Professor Spbnseb Wilkinson, gave his inaugural lecture recently. Processor Wilkinson, after defining military history as" "tho effort to understand war," gave a very lucid explanation of what the University should and should not consider as jjart of its

province to teach.in regard to military matters. ' ./ ' ,' : He did not, he said, conceive: it to be the function of.the University to.undertake the technical instruction of , professional officers, or to givo its_ students practice in the art of leading troops. The curriculum approved by the governing body of the New Zealand University, it may be said, includes "development of tactics since 1740," "general, tactics of the present day," use of highly technical instruments, and the details of ■ military engineering. The greatest services which the University could render to the army, as to the nation, said Piiofessor Wilkinson, must consist in the effort which it. carried on to obtain and to communicate true ideas of human life and 'society, and in the inspiration which.it might be able to give to its students. If the University was able to send out into the working life of England a stream of men of sound intellectual' training, with a 'large outlook on life and.a high purpose: of. service to the nation,;it was for the .'army.'.to; attract :them .to -the ? articular career: it had to offer, t would surely be more reasonable I'for the _New Zealand University to confine its military teaching to the general : principles : .indicated by PnoFESSOE, Wilkinson, and. leave to the/Defence Department the.instruction of its officers in the minutiae of their special work.,- In practice it isdifficultto'seehow the. University can do. niore than that, when the cost of technical instruction .and I other aspects are: considered. .An important.point made by Professor Wilkinson, which went to justify his limitation, of the University's -dutf ics, was that "in regard to war the architectonic art was policy or politics, not strategy or generalship, .which was not the master ■ but; tho servant." , A statesman need not.be able to handle; fleets or. aTmies, but I'he ought to have a true knowledge of what could, .and what could not, be done by those instruments, and that knowledge—which ■ does not include the hamdlirig of;field ■ instruments—the '"University-, could supply; It would, have been much, better if the Senate had decided, to make military history: an , .; extra .subject, instead of an optional subject,, for the degree courses.-:•-". If it is an .optional'., subject, it. must : displace' m practice other.; optional, subjects, which should not be displaced. .Members of the'- Senate appeared Ito be quite'; properly '■ agreed that' neither the Government nor the Defence De-; partment must' be allowed to inter-: fere in the control of the new Chair. It'is'.es&ential'.to the interests of the. University; and; therefore' of the community, that the i Government should; hot:meddle jih,its. . trahsaetionsj but: should.!;merely'"..provide necessary funds: .This after. all' is the 'honourable distinction '• of : the patron.' Better,' ithat ; Horace should go. 'hungry', ..than that : i. -Maecenas should assist to write the Odes. And the Senate's .decision .will certainly afford an easy, and we think'a fatal; opening for the ''entrance 'of .•'.'. the State's' Executive into the government,of the •University. 'Thatwould bo a horrible-destiny.; •■';..> ;