MILITARY CADETSHIPS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1654, 22 January 1913, Page 6

MILITARY CADETSHIPS.

■ A very serious problem, the solution of which is a matter of sonio urgency, is at present perplexing the military authorities. This is, tho maintaining of the annual quota, of ten cadetships l at the Royal Australian Military College at Duntroon, Now South Wales. , Under the provisions, of the Dominion's defence scheme the Now Zealand Staff Corps is to be recruited in tho futuro from tho Military College. To that end, New Zealand is permitted, under an arrangement with the Commonwealth Government, to send ten cadets to Duntroon every year, the cost of their education and board and lodging at the college being paid by the Dominion Government. The course at the college covers a period of four years' training in military subjects, in addition to which the students also, receive a liberal education in such subjects of general culture as mathematics, English,- physical science, French and German, chemistry, sanitation, hygiene, and electricity, first aid, and manual training. To meet such an exigency as a shortage of officers, the course at the college may bo shortened to three years, but everyone will agree that the full course should be completed, if at all possible. At the end of their

course, the- students, averaging 20 years of ago by this time, aro given a subaltern's commission in the Now Zealand Staff Corps, at £250 on first appointment, and they may look forward, subject to the ri;crit of their work, to promotion in rank up to a full colonelcy on the New Zealand General Staff at £750 a year, or even the position of Conimandsjit at £1000 a year, and allowances. Taken on the whole, then, the profession of arms in this country, as regards emoluments, i 8 infinitely moro attractive than it is in almost any other country in the world. A young ,raan aspiring to enter it, does so, it he proves his eligibility, under the most favourable auspices. Yet what do we find in the third year of these cadetships—the Commandant of the New Zealand Forces on his knees bc; fore the University Senate in Auckland., asking for assistance in promoting interest in tho entrance examinations for the cadetships, and presenting the attractions of soldiering in New Zealand'with all the earnestness of a bagman, because only five lads could be found to enter for the qualifying examination'for the cadetships, and of these five only three filled the requirements! A reforenco to the Army List shows that in 1911, eight cadets represented New Zealand at the Military College, instead of ten; in 1912, eight more went over to Duntroon instead of ten; and this year, only three, instead of ten, have qualified. That is to say, instead of having our full quota of 30 cadets in training at Huntroon during 1913, we shall only have nineteen—eleven short. Now, here is the serious aspect of this problem: The establishment of the New Zealand Staff Corps, on paper, is 100 officers, and as the senior positions fall vacant through retirements and other causes, and the young officers move up the ladder of promotion,' the junior positions will be filled by students who have- graduated from the Military College. It has been expressly stated, and reiterated, by Lord Kitchener, that on no other basis should the New Zealand Staff Corps, be recruited, than from the Military College, but if the annual quota of cadetships is not maintained,' the country will ultimately bo faced with a shortage of officers of the kind contemplated by Lord Kitchener when he' drafted his recommendations in 1910, and will cither have to meet the deficiency by importations—a course to be avoided, if possible—or by tho appointment of officers of inferior qualifications. Further, the shortage in the quota of cadotships postpones the full fruition of the scheme—with a shortage, of eleven at tho end of 1913 we shall bo a- year behind. Some systematic attempt must bo made without delay to remedy this state of affairs,