JUNIOR CADETS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1505, 30 July 1912, Page 7

JUNIOR CADETS.

INDIGNANT OFFICERS. LETTER FROM. GENERAL GODLEY. The views of Major-General Godley upon the junior cadet system are clearly explainetl in a letter which ho has written in reply to tho resolution of a meeting in CliT-istchurch of junior cadet officers, protesting against his remarks before tliivLdueaticn Commission. He has written in reply Jo Major C. T. Aschman, chairman of the- meeting, and last evening handed a copy of liis letter to a reporter. "I very much regret to find that my remarks should havo been taken by the officers of tho junior cadets as in any way insulting to them," General Godley writes. "Nothing was further from my mind than in any way to wound their feelings, and I am more sorry than I con say that any remarks' I mado should havo had this effect. "My evidence has not been quite correctly reported at your meeting, for on reference to tho 'Press' I find that I only used the expression 'bogus , with reference to> the military aspect of tho organisation, and certainly did not apply it to the officers. I stated that these latter were in a fake position, for they had the title of officers, wore the uniforms of officers, and were doing officers' work, whilst holding no commissions as such. I fusly recognise the excellent work done by the junior cadet officers, and the thoroughness of the organisation, . and am particularly sorry that my words should have been taken as applying personally. Many of our best Territorial and Senior Cadet officers are schoolmasters and junior cadet officers, and I hope in tho future we shall have more of them in tho Army. It also looks as though you thought I had recommended that tho Junior Cadets should bo placed under the Defence Department. This was not so. As a matter of fact I only wished to emphasise the following points:—(l) That we are beginning the military training of tho boy too young and that it is early enough to begin it at fourteen years of age; (2) that no organisation should be military unless it. is under military control and that consequently 'the present junior cadet organisation, being under tho Education Department, is out of place and that, if tho Junior Cadets remain under this Department, as I trust they will, the organisation, should not be- of a military character."

General Godley concludes his letter with a suggestion that tho junior cadet officers should meet him when he is in Christchurch on August 12. "I should like to have tho opportunity," ho adds, "of assuring you and them personally that I have no antagonism to tho Junior Cadets and that I am only anxious to liolp the Education authorities in dovising some system as regards them which will satisfy both Departments and I think if I could meet yon and some representative Junior Cadet officers this would bo much facilitated." _In a letter to Major Robb, General Gotlley expresses his willingness to visit Auckland towards the end of August for tho purpose of meeting Junior Cadet ofiicers there.