CADET PARADE

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22445, 5 July 1938, Page 12

CADET PARADE

REPLY BY MILITARY OFFICIAL “CRITICISM UNFAIR AND UNWARRANTED” MEMBER OP BOARD TAKEN TO TASK “I feel that these criticisms are unfair and unwarranted,” states a passage in a letter sent by Colonel P. H. Bell, D.5.0., N.Z.S.C.. Officer Commanding the Southern Military District, to the Board of Governors of the Christchurch Technical College in reply to criticism of the military authorities reported to have been made by Mr T. Nuttall at the board meeting on Friday. Mr Nuttall, it was reported, had protested against the alleged attitude of the military authorities in keeping cadets standing in the cold for an hour before the parade at Hagley Park on the King’s Birthday. Colonel Bell’s letter is as follows:

“My attention has been directed to newspaper reports of a meeting of your Board of Governors, a member of which alleged callousness on the part of ‘these military men' for the health and comfort of the school cadets. By ‘these -military men’ I assume is meant the district headquarters staff. “As the health, comfort, and convenience of the men are regarded as of prime importance in arranging any military function, I feel that these

criticisms are unfair and unwarranted and made without knowledge of the following facts which I desire to bring to the attention of your board of governors:— “tai The parade was called for 10.30 a.m., and units were instructed to be formed up to 10.20 a.m.—or only 10 mintues prior to the commencement of the ceremony. What happened prior to 10.20 a.m. was entirely at the discretion of the school authorities and the territorial units. There was certainly no necessity for any unit to be paraded an hour before 10.30 a.m.— much less to be kept standing in the cold for that period, and I doubt if this happened in any one case. “(b) I admit that the parade took longer than it was estimated to do. For this there were various reasons, some of which it was impossible to foresee. However, I do not think this was the chief cause of ‘faintness.’ since the first cadet I saw fall out did so within 15 minutes of the commencement of the parade. “(c) As far as the Technical College cadets were concerned —to mention only the unit which directly concerns your board of governors—the parade was an entirely voluntary one, and only those who offered to attend were included. . , , “Altogether .1 feel that the whole matter has been treated in a manner calculated to discredit the established cadet system. “However, as the opinions expressed were apparently not supported by an adopted resolution, I am gratified to conclude that they were not those of the board as a whole. .. , “In conclusion I would request that if at any future meeting of your board derogatory statements regarding military matters or persons are made, I be «iven an opportunity of investigating and explaining or of refuting the statements before they are made public. “I am handing a copy of this letter to the local press for publication. I regret the necessity for this, but in view of the terms used according to the published reports, and in fairness to mv department, no other course is open.*’’ •