A VISITOR FROM AMERICA.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1563, 5 October 1912, Page 4

A VISITOR FROM AMERICA.

• « REAR-ADMIRAL ROSS INTERVIEWED (Bj Teleeraph.—SDeoial Correspondent.) Auckland, October 4. Rear-Admiral Ross, who has retired from the United States Navy's active service list, was an arrival at- Auckland by the steamer Tofun. Ho intends to spend.two months in tho North Island, two months in .the South Island, and a further two months in Australia. He is. interested in social and political questions,' and is making a CIO9O study of working conditions in tho Dominion. "New Zealand has been tho uim of my life," said, Rear-Admiral Boss, in an interview. Ho retired from the navy four years ago, but his expert knowledge led his Government to appoint him to supervise tho orection of flic huge naval collcgo at Chicago. That work ho has now finished, and ho has started out on a two years' tour of tho world, which only a uavy man could map out. It includes Java, Manila, Japan, China, Australia, Hawaii, and almost every out of tho way corner of tho globe. "I should say,l was," ho said, whon asked if ho was interested in defence matters. "Forty-nine years' servico in tho United States Navy has made it most of my life's study. In our country wo instill military ideas into tho boys! minds, and we find that istho niost successful method to adopt. In nearly every Stato of tho Union wo have, established military collegos. They are conducted on the lines of boarding schools, and the pupils pay for their education, their uniforms, and their equipment. Tho very best class of boy enters theso colleges, and every year each institution sends its best graduate into tho ranks of the permanent, army with a commission. It is a fine way of dealing with tho boys. Tho education, besides being general, provides them with a knowledgo of all military work, and they make successful men because -they aro brought up amid excellent disciplino and surroundings." "There is no compulsion," tho visitor was asked. "Nono at all. Wo havo a volunteer system, and that ■ apparently fulfils all army, needs."