VIRTUES OF THE SOLDIER

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 24074, 9 October 1943, Page 4

VIRTUES OF THE SOLDIER

♦ Warning Against Deprecation

“INTELLIGENT LONGHAIRED PEOPLE ” (p.A,) WELLINGTON, October 8. A warning that after the present war, as after the last war, an attempt would be made by certain persons to deprecate soldierly virtues and attributes was given by the Goverhof-Gen-eral, Sir Cyril Newall, when addressing the annual meeting of the New Zealand Boy Scouts’ Association at Wellington to-day. Wherever he went, he said, he took particular pains to warn children on this point, because it was a mortal danger. . “NO sooner has the war finished than there will arise again, as last time, a collection of people, very intelligent, with longish hair, who will be very vociferous and who will set out to decry the very virtues, discipline, courage, and endurance which have enabled us to live as free citizens,” said his Excellency. “Unless we remember the effects of their teaching after the last war, when they reduced us to a state of disarmament and almost led us to destruction, we shall he misled again.” , . . They were clever people, most ox them, he went on. It would be found they had probably never served King or country, or, if they had, had not been noted for their skiff or for' the attributes of discipline, courage, and endurance which they decried. They were a menace, and their influence on the children of to-day would have to be warded off. The scout movement was very near his heart. He hoped the people would give every possible support to the movement, which would help fit the youth of to-day.to bear the terrific burden that would faff on them.