BOY SCOUTS IN WAR TIME.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2372, 30 January 1915, Page 7

BOY SCOUTS IN WAR TIME.

GOOD WORK IN ENGLAND PATROLLING THE MCOAST . (A.H.H., in tlio < dian.") In England some fourteen hundred. Scouts have, since tho war began, been patrolling tho coasts, keeping watch, signalling ships, and generally roplac-f ing coastguards now on active service. A motor ambulance manned by export Scouts i 6 being sent to France. Ofoz ten thousand ex-Scouts aro known tot be with the colours, and officers. hav<r' abundantly recognised the value of-fch'eirj 1 training and their spirit. The. Boys' . Scouts liavo offered to raiso for service at tlio front a full hattalion of cyclists, provided with machines and of guaran- • teed proficiency in scouting and dis-r» patch-riding. . , In a loss conspicuous but ecpially ef«'/ fective sphere they have been continuing -their peaceful duties as roSof distributors, and general "handy- v men" for any special call. 7n the \ Manchester district alone they have.al-y ' ready realised nearly £200 for the Relief Fund by the sale of the nowspaparsi which they collect. It was the Boy.' Scouts who, under the fire of the -elements, scaled the lamp-posts and ad-4 vertised with placards the recently raised City Battalions. Moreover, theyv; have not slacked off now that the nov-/. elty has gone. They still aim at proving themselves in' all ways "good atuneed," _ I Nest, in spite of the risk of" considered militaristic, the Chief Scoutfe is organising all Scouts who. aro, will-? ing, between the ages of 15 and 17, a Home Defence Corps, with, a very finite and thorough scheme of instruction in prospect. While himself abso-< lutely* averse from military training, asj an education for boys, he feels it right* to introduce it now into the movement) as a temporary and exceptional erpedi- > ent. _j ' Tho time perhaps has cmne when wei may usefully consider' to what' -extent j. the Boy .Scout; movement has justified • its existonce as a helpful agenpyin time of war. Only a few yeaw back were most of us smiling "at tbemfimc warfare of the bare-kneed' 'youngster K-ith the-broomstick. Now that the 4 country is up against the real thing, and even a boy counts, what do we finely that this same small warrior has learnt to do? What real; service^,does berender that - has won- £is i picturesque' and healthy uniform official recognition. I In what way has ho, adding ..his. little" 5 contribution to the common store, jde~ J ; 6erved well of his Fatherland? Most of us know what he did at the outbreak of the war—how Whelped thepolice and Territorials in' guarding, bridges and culverts] telegraph and* " railway lines, often keeping night-« watch, and running what might have ptttaxT serious risks; Kow/on foot and cycle he delivered countless messages, £ and reported several not' imaginary, 3 spfes; and how he enjoyed it all,, feelinc;. that at last he was playing the f real game, as a recognised servant- of / the King. - For the Soouts, .too, in all** countries, were mobilised, and I imag- • ine that in..varying ,ways...,they have . equally proved their value, everywhere. ~ In Belgium they have seen much captive service. In.Franco. many have; I made their way to the front, and serve as dispatch-riders—one such, alter being wounded in Alsace, near- Reims, and at., Ypres, is at the present time;in. Mian—ft Chester, and many more have been organised for ambulance work and for re- - placing minor cogs in the administrative wheel. Personally, .1 shall not , r easily forget the sight of French scouts " piloting our own soldiers round Havre in Augnst, acting as-guides, in-," terpreters, and very faithful squirea. it ''Please tell Baden-Powell that I don't know how- we should get on without these little chaps," was the repeated request of officer and private alike. I am glad to take this giving 1"™ their message.