The Daily News. MONDAY, OCTOBER 11. MILITARY TRAINING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 211, 11 October 1909, Page 2

The Daily News. MONDAY, OCTOBER 11. MILITARY TRAINING.

The National Defence League w cir dilating a petition for presentation lo Parliament. urging the legislature to lake steps for providing universal military training. The (iovcrnor's speech last week inilieated that important alterations are contemplated by the (ioverniueut anil will shortly be submitted In Parliament for consideration. No indication has been given, however, of the form the improvements will take. It is pretty certain any scheme propounded will include a comprehensive extension of the cadet system and tlie training of minors. New Zealand's pioneer cadet system, embracing as it does practically the whole of the primary schools of the dominion, is now well established. That the value of early training in the rudiments of national defence is not inappreciable is shown by the attention at present being devoted to the question in Australia and the Old Country. The English Army Council recently issued a series of draft regulations governing the formation, organisation and administration of cadet corps. These regulations are being submitted to the Territorial Assoch lions for comment, which has lo he sent to the War Office before the UUtli of next month. They are of special interest to us at the present juncture. The term "cadet corps" under the new regulations includes all organisations which aim at giving boys instruction in military training, and differs materially from the cadet corps hitherto known r.i the I'nited Kingdom, as for example the cadet corps in the great public schools, which ci ('respond with our high schools. These latter corps have now become " officers' training corps,'' and hold a very distinct and useful place i't tin 1 ~i iieine for providing officers for the 'lViri.nihil Force. The cadet corps under I lie new rules will be connected, as in New Zealand, with the secondary and elementary schools. The control of the cadets, however, as proposed, is on a dill'erent footing altogether to tj.it of our youthful soldiers in New Zealand. Whereas our cadets exist as a force apart ill together from the volunteers, the cadets of the United Kingdom will be under the direct control of, and lie associated with, the Territorial County Associations. The War Office, it is proposed, should not have any direct dealings with them, and such encouragement, organisation, and inspection as the tiovernment give will reach the boys' through tile medium of the Territorial County Associations. Applied to New Zealand, the proposed system would mean that the cadet corps would be attached lo the volunteer corps in their respective districts--n policy, it seems to us, that would have everything to recommend it. in the interests of the boys and of Ihe volunteers. If. as is propo-cd by I lie Army Council. <,\cry cadet corps in the dominion were attached to a volun-

teer or corresponding military iiuil, il would be a very useful nil". It wool I give, as is claimed fur the proposal ; n its connection with the Tnriiorials in Ihe Old Country, the coiMiii.inling officers and stall's of the voliinleer units an interest in seeing thai, the boys are well trained. It would inculcate in the

buys a much greater esprit de nop-, a natural ambition to ultimately graduate into tlic senior company. It lias been well Mated that in the widest sense cdueaiion can hardly be said lo In- complete unless a boy is given (lint form or physieal training which consists in eo operation and joint action with others usually designated by the word "discipline.'' t'nlcs-s a boy learns to obey an order intelligently, and to work with j

ol.lieis. ho is only half <.cliic;itoil. Again, his moral ami intellectual nature cannnt. hut he improved by the thought of sclf-sacrilico and of devotion to duly connected witli tin. idea of I raining oneself for the defence of homo and country. Boys initurally aslc for what purpose their training is intended, and learn that they may soin ( . day be called upon to make Hie' supreme sarcilice of laying down their lives for their country. Hut to make such a sacriliee worth having they must receive instruction in military duties. With a cadet system in lull operation, under some such scheme as is proposed in the Old Country, a [ very great advance would be accomplished ill the training of an adequate force for the defence of the country. To complete the training it would he

necessary to bridge the gap between the school cadet and the full-Hedged volunteer by a more or less compulsory period of service in ail intermediary class (as is provided for ill the new -Australian schemo)-dofence cadets, all, however, working under the one local administration, and each (particularly the cadets) feeling that it is an essential and eouipuncnl part in the success of the whole.