THE MILITARY CAMP.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 292, 13 May 1914, Page 6

THE MILITARY CAMP.

SEVERE CRITICISM BY A CHAPLAIN. OFFICERS OF THE MARTINET TYPE. NO RESPECT FOR SUNDAY. By Telegraph —Press Association. Palmcrston North, Tuesday. In the course of a severe criticism in the Standard on the recent Takapau camp, the Rev. F. W. Boys, chaplain, says that two classes of men interested in the movement need to be closely watched by the public. First, the "English Tommy" type of permanent men, who all the time forget that this is a citizen army and can only be run by retaining the goodwill of the lads. This is the man who would "down" every complaint, deny that anyono over had a grievance, who yearns to increase the severity of the system, and talks wildly of excluding reporters from the camp and censoring the press. Then there is the young subaltern, who is a great problem. "I cannot speak too highly of some of them," says Mr Boys, "but others, clothed with a little brief authority, simply goad men to mutiny and, by their bad examples when off duty, would destroy the discipline of any camp. Merc boys themselves, they have neither the knowledge of human nature nor the sense of responsibility adequate to their position. Had the non-commissioned officers (who won 'by admiration) behaved as some subalterns behaved themselves, they would have lost their stripes at once.

"The authorities are face to face with the whole question of the Sunday in camp. Whether the men have a grievance or not, I have no limitation in saying that if Sunday afternoons are used for a football match, with all its attendant excitement, the men will get ou'y of hand, and there will be trouble. I am sure if I could have transferred tho scenes and language used at Takapau on Sunday afternoon and evening to, say, Lambton quay, Wellington, there are hundreds of Christian parents who would sooner go to prison than have their boys forced to spend a Sunday under such conditions. T feel that this movement needs jealously watching, and that enormous expense is being thrust upon taxpayers for little material good, and for grave moral harm. J think that no married man should be forced to go into camp, that the time in camp should be. reduced, and the whole burden lightened.

"My final criticism is that General fiodley should have endured the same hardness our boys were asked to face, and should have slept in a tent at the eamp, and not softly in the Johnston mansion."