CLASSICAL EDUCATION AND WARFARE.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 10865, 15 January 1901, Page 5

CLASSICAL EDUCATION AND WARFARE.

TO TUE EDITOR OF THE PRESS. Sir, —It is clear to everybody now that the Boers are quite able to go pretty well where they like, and do what mischief they choose. It is also clear that the reason for this is that they are practically independent of all transport Each man has a led horse, and they live on the country as they go. To cope with them we require similar bodies of mounted infantry, with a led horse for each man, and as we aro too scrupulous to live on the country wo require fortified, wellprovisioned posts at short intervals, from which our flying bodies of horse may draw supplies when they need them, and thus be independent of transport. This has been clear from the first- to anybody who knows his Ca-sar and Tacitus.* The'only general who seems to have realised this is BadenPovrell, who I see is dividing the country into districts easily patrolled by a body of mounted police. In the centre of each district he is building a bomb-proof fort, with provisions for at least three months. From this base his troops can ride forth without any transport, and rapidly cover the whole of each district. Perhaps, Sir, there may b3 something after all to be said for learning Latin at school. Of course, it may be fanciful, but 1 should like to remark that BadenPowell is, I believe, the only general with any pretence to Latin scholarship. He hails from a public school which ha-s steadily set its face against the""Modern Side," and he is said to have a scholar's knowledge of the works of Ca*sar. It would_ however, be absurd to suppose that our other generals havo neglected the commentaries of Cajsar as a portion of their military education. Probably they read him in the "crib." This does not seam to have profited them very much, however.

Pray, do not think I mean to generalise from a solitary instance. But those who still take Lord Rosebery seriously in his speeches may comfort- themselves with the example of Baden-Powell, and reflect that, after all, we may not be betraying the responsibilities of the Empire by learning Latill at school. We may also reflect that there is another great Empire which in war, science, art, and commerce challenges our own—viz., that of Germany. Germany is bald up to us at every turn as a pattern. Germany has become great since 1871. And I believe it is only since '71 that German universities have stringently required candidates for degrees to pass a "Leaving Examination," which includes no small amount of Latin. Before that time degrees were bought and sold in German universities (I do not say all German universities) for hard cash. And it must be remembered that these universities aro all State universities, so that- this condition must be deemed to be one which has been laid down and approved by the most Imperialist of Empires in the world. Of course, I do not mean to argue that German}* has grown great only because her State demand- Latin for her university degrees, but such an argument would be, at least, as .-rood as that of Lord Rosebery, who, as the "Saturday Review" puts it," advises us to prepare ourselves for the responsibilities of Empire by giving up Latin and Greek, because certain tradesmen in Edinburgh say they don't see the use of Latin and Greek fdr commerce. Commerce is a factor of Empire it is true, but so is the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake. It, takes all sorts to make an Empire. Th© German is just as proud of Germany's scholarship as he is of Germany's soldiers. With regard to our own university, it does not seem to' be generally known that it will examine and grant certificates of proficiency in any subject to anybody without any conditions abcut Latin or attendance at lectures or anything .tee. The examination for these certificates is the sam_* as the B.A. examination, and the standard required is" the samo also. There is absolutely nothing, therefore, to prevent a hoy or manor woman cither receiving instruction in any branch of "useful knowledge" and passing a university examination therein which will entitle him to a certificate that 'his knowledge of this subject is equal to tiha.t of any B.A. I have bean told that this arrangement was made in tho hope that our M.H.R.V might avail themselves of it to qualify themselves for their duties. But, so far, they liave not done so. In these days of general education, and with a system so belauded as our's, it seems a little strange that the electors- do not insist upon it that those to whom the highest interests of the country are entrusted should show some preliminary piroof of their fitness. It certainly seems silly that lawyers should have to pass an examination in "law while law-makers remain grossly ignorant of it. It would do some of our M.H.R.'s a power oi good if they had to obtain a university certificate in, say, jurisprudence, constitutional history, and political economy. I don't think it is at all fair that they should not ba examined like other civil servants. We pay a great deal for our system of education, and we certainly ought to get the best possible value for it. Ido not wish to argua that they all ought to learn Latin grammar. I think English grammar might "pluck" a good many of them.—Yours, etc.. EMPIRE. * It was only by establishing such a series of fortified posts, connected by good roads, that Caspar and Agricola finally subdued the guerilla bands of of Gaul and Britain.