AUSTRALIA'S YOUNG DEFENDERS.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14970, 18 May 1914, Page 9

AUSTRALIA'S YOUNG DEFENDERS.

55,000 JUNIOR CADETS.

The initiation of the Australian youngster to the Army occurs, not at his first parade in Senior Cadet khaki, nor in the drill hall, where, on attainting the age of 18, he steps forth for the first timo in the full rig of a war rior. It occurs amongst the cricket bats and footballs of his playing Sold.

Igncred by tho unenthusiastic public, forgotten by all except his official instructors, and tho ahti-_uilitar_t_ who make of him an unoonscious martyr, the" Australian youngster begins (says the Melbourne representative of Sydney "Sun") on his twelfth birthday to know what duty to his nation means. It comes to him in the pleasantest possible way —organised games, physical drill, exercise in free air. relief from studies, sporting material. Ho is given no uniform. He gets nothing that encourages him to connect the Defence Department with enforced restraint. He is told that he has- entered tho groat army of Australian trainees, that he-is to develop his muscles and train his charan tor, that to bo a good Australian ho must be sirong in body and courageous in mind. "His first "thought of the Commoatvealth pictures it as a fatherly institution that gives him pleasant drill in the sclioo-ground. organised play, and bats and balls. 55,000 DRILLED YOUNGSTERS.

Every report, official and privato, tell*, of the success of this little-known, buritnportaflt, part of the defence system. The public,. sees so little of the work that figures are required to tell of its extent—s4,ssß Junior Cadets, 4010 male teachers, and 3CO female, total cost .£26,000. That this army' of boys is be-

ing efficiently trained in the simple drill and physical worr. laid down by _ the regulation, is proved by 'thf.eoucational inspectors.' re-sorrs_:n all fetate--The-« are eagerly scrutinised at tlie D'"f<=uce Department- There is no section of trainees that officers have nioro at ..ear. than ihw bn-lding Australian voutl-s. The reports tell unanimously or improved deportment and physical and mental vigour amongst boys, or a "better b-urh_ aud carriage,'' and or better health. Confirmatory evidence, and more important, comes from the oflieor* commanding Senior Cadets. Ihey say that the recruits arfc better every year —that the school work as Junior Cidots makes the boys more amenablo to discinlino, less difficult to train m real military drill, and more anxious to do their work as soldiers efficiently A STURDY LOT.

This 's a tribute to Australian boy? j Tlipv aro sturrlv. for only 2.3 per cent fail'to pass -he medical examination enabling them to become Junior Cadets. They aro keen to lcaru, and they respond to ia natcrnitl Governments effort, to organise their ploy and sport *0 that the utmost physical benefit can be obtained. It is also a tribute to school teachers. Neither tho Detence nor the Educations. Departments pay tho teachers extra tor their military work. Yet tho teachers go with enthusiasm to the sc'tools of instruction provided by the defence officials, they ' .nrn tho iritricato drill and gatne work thoroughly, and they introduce tho youngsters to tho military system in a wav that only a teacher-soldier could •manage. General Hamilton emphasised' during his farewell visit to schools in Victoria, tho importance of having tho boy led into tbo military system by his teacher. Ho called the Junior Cadet system an inspiration. Introduction? always call for tho exercise of tact and sympathy. Australian boys might easily bo frightened of the military training, regarding the Commonwealth as a stern and repulsive tyrant. -But when* tho teacher takes his twolvcr-year-old boy by tho hand, teaches him to play and to drill, and tells him that-in-terest and obedience will make hi 3 military work fascinating during his nest fourteen years, he gets early slu-i----merings of the right idea.

PATRIOTISM AMONG TEACHERS. When the system was introduced two arA a half years ago, the Commonwealth paid tho schools 4s per head of junior cadets. This was given to tho headmasters, and was . meant to cover all cadet materials, and sports meetings. Lately it has been found that largo schools accumulate money, whilst the small schools find -ib hard-to get along, lb© payment has therefore been altered, -without additional expense, to allow of the Defence Department paying all cost of instruction and instruction | schools, and the school teachers meet- ; ing their 10ca1.. -expenses..out of.-a.grant \ of 2a 6d per cadet. This is generous; treatment; 'Tho youngsters get all tho j material they want, all tlie drill apparatus all the sporting .'perquisites. The teachers get their expenses paid nt instruction .mbools established m the cities, whore the Department's expert staff of 1G orfneers—3 each roTNew South "Wales, "Victoria, and Queensland. 2 each in South arid West tralia, and I in' Tasmania —work day and night to teach them how to teach the boys. It may be that the teachers should be paid for tho timo given to this military work. It is exacting. It calls for physical fenduriiuco as welLas the free use of their special knowlcdgo and capacities as. educationists. But there has been no compliiinr. from tho teachers. They have gladly given, themselves to a system that makes not only for Australian defence, but for sound, manhood. In this connexion, the women teachers of the'bush deserve i* special word of praise. At many country schools. \the.staff is ono schoolmistress: Wero .th 6 boys at these schools to lose their junior cadet training simply .becauso. no. .nan-toa.her was about? . Not a bit Of it. The_e women have attended instructional schools,'they have fitted th6meelve_ for tho drill work, and at 300.bush schools they- are to be eeefl daily, proudly and capably -initiating their boys into tho Australian de.er.c6 system. There is something" of tho finost spirit of pati .oti-iM BWoncst these, womdn. General Hamilton came across a bush • Vomen teachers' instruction school!when he was first in Melbourne. Thirty women tfere at svork, in. gymnasium garb, learning the..'compulsory physical,- training and inarching drill, and the optional shooting, first . aid, and organised games. "Australians Are fortunate in their mothers," . he said. BEST SYSTEM IN THE WORLD.

These youngest trainees are not only showing the way to tho Eznoire, they aro showing the world. Hamilton says 60. It is no secret now that Hamilton enthused more over tho youngest than tho older trainees, and that he vowed th&vfc before long somo such system' would be introduced in English schools. '"This is what we want in Groat Britain." he said to Colonel Petersen, head of the instructional staff of tho junior cadets. "All this is new and instructive to mc. I would give much to see it amongst the boyß elsewhere.'' Lord Haldane, ex-War Minister in England, is working on similar lines. He induced Colonel Petersen, during the laiter*. visit to London, to lecture to army officers-on the Australian work, and after it'Haldane remarked: "This conversation will bear fruit." Colonol Petersen went to many countries on behalf of tho Defence Department, and ho brought home the imprssion that there is to better boys' training than that given to tho youngest trainees.