RETURNED SOLDIERS FIRST

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 100, 22 January 1919, Page 8

RETURNED SOLDIERS FIRST

Sir, —You say in answer to my last letter "that Duntroon cadets do not receive special-treatment, but wore drafted into the Expeditionary Force as soon as they qualified." ' That may be, but how long did they take to qualify P Four years. I know of young men in their twenty-second year who have Just left Duntroon, and to propose t6 send these men to England to help demobilise the New Zeaknders is nothing but a laughable farce—men who have never been near the war zone. My contention is that no staff appointments should bo given tp these cadets—all jobs of any sort whatever should le given to returned officers who have deserved them. The country at one timo urgently called for volunteers, many good and true men answered, hundreds of them will never return; those that do deserve all staff appointments, etc;, and surely the experienco of actual warfare they have gained is infinitely better than anything learned in a college. I understand that theM cadets start nt £200 per year. Now, many an officer would bo glad of this money, instead of paying jt to ablebodied young men. In conclusion, I am thankful to say that I am the parent of sons who did not stay in a military college for four years, and then emerge to reap the benefit of others' labour.—l am, etc., A PARENT.