VICTORIA COLLECE AND THE WAR.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2556, 2 September 1915, Page 6

VICTORIA COLLECE AND THE WAR.

Sir,—This morning my attention was arrested by. a letter in your paper—a letter touching the case of Professor von Zedlitz. Ido not wish' to deal with the position of, the Professor, but I do wish most emphatically to protest against the tone of. the latter part of 1 tho letter. Tho iutention seems. fo ba not to throw any light on "the von Zedlitz case," but.'merely, to cast a cowardly slur on the students of the Victoria University College. .. Does "An Interested Spectator" know, what,a university college is? I should - think not. He speaks of tho Professor's "influencing the minds of our young countrymen." He may—on '• matters purely academic. B.ut the re-' mark, if it did not betray the writer's ■ lamentable ignorance, would bo merely, ' ludicrous. A university college is not . a place for babes and sucklings, and : tlio idea that Professor von Zedlitz could influence tlio minds of students so as to retard recruiting is delicious : in ■ its folly. ' In England, the mere fact of attending a university college coiinotes some degree of wealth. Most English students have no one dependent on them financially, and are quite free to;enlist. In Now Zealand the reverse is-the case,'- ' many students—the majority, in' factbeing compelled to work during the day, to obtain money to pay their ; fees. - And'this I do know, that many students who aro breaking their hearts .to ;bo_ away with the New Zealand troops arecompelled by force of circumstances to . . porforni a more unpleasant duty in remaining at home. But in spite of this, tho University of New Zealand will stand, comparison with the universities of England. In 1914 tKere were 377 students; at Victoria 1 University College (vide V.U.G. Calendar,. 1915). Many of these are women students. At : the outbreak of-tho war, however, students from the Victoria University . College were among the first to enlist. - Many, ■; promising careers were spoiled, because " the men of Victoria College saw that it was their duty to. sacrifice everything. ' at such a time, and were not content,to be "Interested Observers." • Short as ■ was the notice given, fifty-five students were in the Advance Force ;which captured Samoa; 32 (including some exstudents) went with' the Main' Body; and numbers have gone with each reinforcement. An'osact statement •of tha . number gone; cannot be given at prosent; but one is ill process of oompilation by the Registrar.; ' However, at ; the beginning of the collego' year, 200 students and ex-students had enlisted, and sinco that time (March, 1915) the':: number has been greatly - increased. 1 The Victoria University Collego has given, and continues to give, of its best; for most of tho students left be--;', ; hind have registered at the Recruiting ' Office, and are waiting—a Uttlo impati- . ently,, perhaps—for. the call to camp. : ' ; It- may-interest "Air' Interested' Ob- , server" to; know that on the Victoriai University College Roll of Honour there is a list which reads;; Students killed, 10; missing, . 3 ; wounded, 23. .1 trust, Sir, that -I have not ■ trespassed : too far ■ ■■. . on' your space, and hope that you" will be ablo to insert this letter.—l am, etc., A.' E. CADOICK. Wellington, August 25. < ; : ■ , [This letter has been'condensed,]