“OLD CRY OF MILITARISM”

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12614, 26 November 1926, Page 7

“OLD CRY OF MILITARISM”

MERELY AN EXCUSE FOR OBJECTION TO SCOUT MOVEMENT VIEWS OF GOVERNOR-GENERAI “One of the great objections raisc-1 to the scout movement—ridiculous ;i' it may seem—is the old cry of militarism.” Thus declared his Excellency, tip* Governor-General (Sir Charles Fergusson), at the annual meeting of th« Dominion Boy Scouts’ Council, when advancing his reasons for supporting tlie abolition of the marksman’s badg from the movement. ‘‘That weighs with a great roan* people,” he added. ‘‘l don’t say it inot a genuine objection, but in a grermany cases it is merely an excuse. T is an excuse used against us, and therefore, care is necessary not to lend a handle to that sort of criticism.” In mentioning his second reason for the stand lie was taking, his Excellency said that New Zealand was happily in a different position to the Old Country in that it had cadet and other military training that brought tlm young peoplo up to use a rifle, and

be able to defend their country if required, “A RETROGRADE STEP” His Excellency then referred to the resolution passed the other day at the Presbyterian General Assembly, and the subsequent letters that had appeared advocating the abolition ot military training. There was no necessity to teach scouts to use the rifle, and if they introduced anything to encourage the use of the rifle it would not be in the best interests of the movement, “I am the last person in the world to decry rifle shooting, but I believe it would be a retrograde step in the present case,” he concluded. Brigadier-General Andrew pointed out that scoutmasters doing efficient scout service were exempt from military training. Unfortunately they had had instances of scoutmasters joining the movement temporarily to evade their military obligations. It was not playing the game, he declared, and he stressed the necessity for keeping the matter constantly under notioe. Another delegate, who has been a musketry instructor for thirtv years, said that very few scoutmasters were qualified to teach musketry, and if they attempted it they would do more harm than good. Training could well be left until youths joined the senior cadets. The remit advocating the re-estab-lishment of the marksman’s badge was rejected.