MILITARY BARRACKS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 217, 1 June 1918, Page 8

MILITARY BARRACKS

CADETS COMPLETE THEIR COUESE.

The military barracks at Wellington College was brought to a close yesterday afternoon, after four days of useful work. In the morning the cadets were addressed by the commandant, Lieutenant-Col-onel J. L. Sleeman, I.G.SS. They had been formed in hollow square, and they listened with close attention to the commandant's survey of their work.

Colonel Sleeman congratulated the officers, n.c.o.'s, and men on the way they had worked during the period of instruction. The standard of efficiency attained was higher tha.n he had expected, and the spirit displayed by the cadets had been admirable. He was glad to he able to state that the discipline had been good. There might be new inventions in the weapons of warfare, improved rifles, aeroplanes, and other modern arms, but the greatest thing, and (he factor which had remained constant from the time of Alexander the Great to the present day, was discipline. The lessons now taught regarding this all-important matter were not, therefore, merely the experiences of the instructors, but the lessons which had been handed down in the British Army for the past 300 years. The valuation placed upon discipline was, the valuation of a great many professional soldiers, and they must make the most of it. There had been a great number of offences during the period of the barracks, but none of them was of a really serious nature. The majority arose from the inability of some cadets to control themselves on parade. Thev laughed, talked, fooled, and so on. It was the instinct of boys to move about in this way, and it could only be eradicated in time, but the boys were taught to stand still so that they mipht have discipline. They could not have discipline until they had self-control. He had directed that there should be ni record nf the punishments. The orderly room had been held not to frichlen the boys, but to impress on them the need for attention to small points. They had not had many lectures during the barracks, as the whole time had been devoted to work on the barracks square; but the lectures could be given them I'ftprwawk as they were near to Defence Headquarters.

This training had been carried out in order that New Zealand might get a good type of soldier in the Territorials, and the country could not get a better type than those that came from the secondary schools, added Colonel Sleemnn. Unless the cadets from the secondary schools unme forward in large numbers and well trained there would not be an efficient force ready to defend the country if it should be attacked. He hoped that the period between that time and the present would bo long. One thing many of them had loarnt during the barracks was that they were not ready to defend the country now. The other day on the hills they carried out an attack, and in less than a quarter of nn hour they wore all mixed up, officers, non-coms,., and privates. In other words, they had coino all to pieces. That was only what might be expected; but when they realised that a modern battalion would be expected to march 20 miles up and down tho hills all day, keeping together all the time, sleep on the lulls at night, and take on the attack again-the next day, they would know how much they had to learn. He hoped they would never be called upon to defend the country against an aggressor, but they must be prepared. If they left a rich young country liko this, strong industrially, and only pnrtly developed, and said they would not defend it but leave it to charity, they invited aggression, and sooner or later the country would be a plum for an enemy. Between the Dominion and a possible aggression tliere' was only the Territorial Force. In Great Britain they had the regular Army, the Territorials, the Volunteers, and the Officers' Training Corps, The New Zealand Force must be at least as efficient as the Imperial Army or it would not be good enough, and ft wo.ild not be good enough unless they had bovs from the cadets working enthusiastically in the Territorials.

The cadets were then °iven field exercises on the hillside behind the college. In the afternoon there was a large gathering) of parents and friends to see the ceremonial parade that was to bring the barracks to a close. The visitors were gi;°n a very interesting display. The spectacular event of the afternoon was a sham fight representing an attack on a trench line. The defenders held a position on the edge of the college grounds, and the attackers came over the ridge behind the observatory and descended 11. successive lints in open order. Blank cartridges had been issued, and there was much noiss and movement before the nttack reached its objective. Then there were some parade ground exercises, including an exhibition by members of the Trentham Camp training staff, and t'nally the cadets performed a maxchpast, the salute being taken by the Ad-jutant-Genernl, Colonel Tate. The Commandant briefly thanked the 'inlets for the way they had worked. They had made a great improvement during the four days, and he hoped that some of the knowledge they had acquired would stick. They would have a chance at the next barracks to show him, or his successor, that the instruction they had received had benefited them and that they were zealous to maintain the good reputation of their corps.

The boys marched off the ground and were dismissed. '