BRAVE LITTLE CADETS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 752, 26 February 1910, Page 5

BRAVE LITTLE CADETS.

\£ VofeNCHED/BTIT/EESOLmm., ;! ; ! :.' -A.; reviewl v bf _, tho::Wellington' ; . Cadeb 'was .held'_by Lord 'Kitchenerv'at: Hutt, Park; yesterday; afternoon "'in.'the presence, of about 2000. spectators.; ..Owing to"; the 'rain'.it:was ,at; first.' deemed visableto carry;'out:the feview, but,when it ;■ was' represented; to ;.Lord, , ';Kitchener that the.boys would be much;disappoint ed.if:it -did iiot take place he-intimated tfc.at :he;;was', prepared ■■ to see..'.it;' carried through;'' , . ■ ;::';; : ..\ vv.:\-;S? ".'■,'■''',''■■:■! ■■■'.■-'

The number.',otfvparade^.',w.aa; 3801, v rhade. up .if 5 462 senior cadets,; |30S i 'junior'.cadets, - 1 20. members ■of j ; tho ; ] Garrison:, Band} and; , a: staff!;.6f.:'five.'. •'! Major'' McDonald, officer; > commaMing { the-;■ ! junior.' '.cadet, forces, .'was in oharge,:; and: he had! lissowith,.hiia Captain:Mostyn;Jones,, Brigade Major, .:ptaff-Sergeant-Major: Pea-' cbck;'j ;• Brigade: 0 Quarler-Master-Captairi -and. , Bombardier. Kitbhener/ was /accompanied by Colonel' 'KirkpaWck, chief .of.his: staff,.and.Cap- , tain ■Pitzgerald; - his; aide^dwjamp.-' -In ad'ditipn toWthe' ; 'Prurie-.iliiiistef,- v there.were' also'.preMnt^'ffie/HbnsXE. ..M'Eenzie, Dri" Kndlayj'.T. Mackenzie,'. G. -Powldsi and D.'Buddo: , Members of '.the Defence Cpuni cil--inVattendance were: -Colonel' Eobinj Ciß.i;'Chief :pf'the;General Staff; Colonel Tuson, Adjutant; Colonel/Collins, member; and. Purdy. - Other .'Bauchop, C.M.G.,' Officer Commanding-.thei;Dis(rict;. Lieut.-' Colonel .Chaytor, ■ Majori'iLascelles,',' Captains O'Sullivan,' Chesney/ 1 Seddon; ' and .Ttast'-i--:-: ■ r V;;:: , :;''.;-'!';r:'iM''^;.j; ; >*;A .

'Bare-leflged^hui'Orijjinali',?v; : ' SV.'■; v. ■ The: 'nsnal ■■ phrases ; about' '"liord ;Kit.chenerjs countenanee"—what s it : said,: and what it did .not say l -have, been carried to. gTeat'lengths,,, and .all that'can. be-said of.thi3, review'was that; he: seemed, to be fairly; glad when , it was over.':'lt was-a moat" uncomfortable■ time; ,■;: '. '. ■' \ i ' ■•:■■;■'

..Shortly'' -'after,-' 3.. p'cloot officers ■■com-, mimding battaliODS received.instructions from Major. M'Donald to parade by 3.25 p.m.,.:in '-, 'readiness.'. for .' the - : 'reception. Everywhere piiddlee of water'had by this' timecollfibted, and the various battalions: as .they marched- to their- stitions' lookedvery wet; though"not,dispmted.:lt.seonied to.the; spectators . as. if .it. vivid .liave beenalmost wiser to have dispensed-with the formal assembling, ahdlettitto the Field-Marshal' to;.-inspect ■ the camp;v The Wanganui.cadets exoited:the:admiration and applause of the spectators byappear-'-ing bare-leggedi ; was , not .only the' one touch of saving originality:about the vrhole. thing, but-appeared ;-toi be'- a , very .proper: thing to do , under the circu'm--stances. •■ Shortly before Lord; Kitchener's. arrival,: the various battalions:, were massed in review order in front of "tho grandstand;!before'-which lias the saluting base.-i /; v -: -:-:.:.-:i.: ":,'..'-;.,.-::vr. vV .-■:;.

Inspectioh Cut Shwt■!■;'";.'.;•'.; '.% ■: :^' : -r '-~ Just 1 upon -3.25 his Lordship, in field service, uniform, and , attended by'lis staff, arrived in.company -with the Prime, Minister (Sir.Joseph':Ward) and several other members .of the Ministry,- at .the. Park. ; Loud\oheers-iwere given for Lord.Kitchener, -' who acknowledged' them ■ by raising his hand in salate..'. He immediately went ■ forward, - and • proceeded ■'■ with;'.. the formal, inspection-of the', cadets, passing along the front accompanied, by Major M'Dohald;- staff ; officers, and:-the representatives of the Govermnen't.. ,;Tho Garrison Band and. Third .Wellington Cadet Battalion Band, binder.' the direction' or Lieut.' Herd, : played •, several:Vfielectione. Af tei-; having: passed along: the front,. the Field-Marshal: and. his party, in;a much abbreviated way, made ..the tour'of inspection customary in the' case of 'a brigade on ceremonial. , : . .'-. -■■ ; ■ ;..

:" During the inspection the : cadets'; stood with sloped arms, , whilst; , on: the , extreme rightj: the"Boy Scouts detachment,, to the number, of 200, under .Lioutl-Commander: Mleod,. also stood: .'at attention with staffs at the slope. ":■~ 'T.X , ' ": : ' , Meanwhile,, a silent .crowd, almost buried under, a\ forest ..of umbrellas, watched the proceedings amidst a gloom and Tain as dense, as the seven*plagues which were semt to ' chastise Pharoah. Forhinately for. the feelings of all—the dripping Field-Marshal and the dripping .boys—tho inspection'was over within, 10 minutes, "and Lord Kitchener and party returned to ,the salating base, after lyhich: the. brigade wheeled ' to the. ; right ■. in; column of oampanies m readiness for the march:past. ; ":■;■. ; '.:■" -,; '■■'. ■'-■.■' -.- : :But Dy. this '•;' time, 'apparently, ,'TL of K." : , thought.'■ the /boys'-'had ."/.-bad enough ;of. : it. : As , the cadets woro r marching . up towards, the... saluting' base he signalled with his ' hand for tho advance 'to' be: made 'at' t) le "double." The bands thereupon struck up a'lively , tune, and tho cadets forward amid hearty: clapping. As the companies :drovo past—many .. with -files and fours':'about as straight- as corkBcrowfj—tie Field-Marshal..-stood at the salute, and of the salutes": of captains Lnadins tho companiea cpthing ■ sera be " : ■.-■.- ■', '. ■■■■• > ■■- •■■" : f ■;::■.'.'.-:■::■■

eaid..' It -was an unexpected- change from the ordinary quickstep to the double, and not being, a "set piece" it stood- disclosed' well—just, as-it wa5..'. : ... ■:;:,' ,■ . • ■■■ v

Splashing %)s£■ ■■ Just in -front of^wh'ere "■ the>Field-' : ;i :: ;t Marshal and ; party .-.were-. 'Standing ■.--? lay'•• ; 'i". : '---'-i several huge pools of '-,-' water,': ■ thiougn "'.'■':■■ which, the .doubling units EplasheoVwilly- ; ,' > nilly.'.some. of the cadets;stumbling- : andVi' others ; receiving an impromptu bath.'Tin- 1 . , i ; fortunately the rain became heavier at.*V l ' this,stage.'.but tho:lads' to it.;'-. When! the fast four or.five,bat-:'''' : -: ; :. talions hnddoubled past,-. Lord Kitchener", ;v '■:■■' ordered, the ;band to 'move further,back,"'.;','%> thus, giving the 'remaining; battalions-.-'%■';?•■'":'■< drier act which evoked applause.'V.'. The - battalions .continued to'"double past 1 J :'' in more; or' >less"-. better > order, 'andi as ; ; -J , Bpectators.'lwished.ther;:;,'i, parade' well, .hearty outburstsl'of. applause testified to : particularly good;.worK—now-'-4V and. then; xOpe battalion- was .observed to -v. , ' l get a.. good .fel.out of stop, :-. whereupon"-' - -' '.■'■' his Lordship, raising' his, hand; nmo':" '>>'■; for them.; TowiiTds the , end of the march- £■'.;;'' past it..was noticeable'that several of thei'iiV

commissioned/officers' failed ' to 'salute as'•' '$a. •they'.: doubted past—an , 'omission 'possibly/-5 v ;: pardonableswhen all things'were,taken';,: '••? into '•'■' ■-■ :■; '"■ V,■ f

■By .'a'quarter t0.4: the march past—or, £)?■"■. to,.be Etnctly''.accuTate,.the run past-rwas ■ '■'■.■ over,, thejast detachment : to' , pass'•'the V '; :-; saluting base , being- the ; Boy Scouts, : ;whb '■;;;■}■[ were cordially rteeted.';--'Ae''raui'-TTM'iiow'" : --' ;: ': . descending, in torrents;. the.'• advance : "• ii-K & review; order:was dispensed with.' >'After-wards.v.-the. KeldiMarshal.'.-and-vpariy:-': 7 ;; walWd thronghitho'lilies to,the-camp.w.. and. after. a!,; brief'inspection entered ;hiac"v ; ' motor-car; and• drove'ofi:.: It can only i be ;; .i\ said, that although.the. Bed "Book'fqr-. occasion' honoureoVin ;the,-/A breach thaii: the: observance; <■ the.great{; }•:' ."Man of Omdurman",was evidently■, taken) >:■;;■ withvtho:.:demeanourbf are our ingenue. soldiers arid : citizens, , and'-':. ; , the Tain; : to put it mildly,-was Arable.,: M-;,y-:, iJ : \>:^.:V\;..->.'.^;:is-: r Z&j,::r^ Complimented. ;': ; \::"y',^ : ;/ ■:(•>'{ 9;v?K'V^ :,i i;;/

: .But nothingiconld have been finer tiaui',^-'.''':'; , attitude; towards. tii»:';:r': : ; : : :littlo;;feU6ws'; ; :underV-aims. , :v-He'asked,'- -;''. Major. JI/Donald , ,to convey: tb , his officers;}..?,.: his appreciation: of .the manner inVwHch ST&; the boys had conducted themselves during i,'■':■?■■ the parade; ; ' Hβ particularly. complimented : : i ;■■ them upon .their; ■ "donblrng;" ■,■ and f he j ■;':>_ wished:to'.express ! his warm'- appreciation ::-:ji of, the/character, 'of: the" material'i.Trhich ";;: ;i : v . the "Dominion ;had in these boys'for the ":.'•> defence; of-'the. colony. ,:.(;: : . ■>;-" . The' condition; of the:camp at;theVclose : ?'ji pi-. theJparade \ was .simply..dreadful. :'ln« ?' ;sevDral| of'the, , , tents-were, large: puddles ;.i..:. ; , of water; while, lake lay/ Jthe-rearof : the eamp.-.and numerous pools fi '■■■■ between- .the rows. of''tents., .Under these .:;•' V\ circumstances every- minute!now. spent inV-V: , ' , the'camp was; a\ menace., to the health, 0f.~,..f.S ■the boys;. Vlt'x was a common: complaint"''*,:,: also /among , ; numbers .of :lhe .boys; that 4.S they "had• not : -had enough'• to'; eat;.whilst :p.-: : iii'camp,\but inquiries went .'to show; that..:'..; the''boys:were .not'altogether free'.from ; .:(-../ blame} inV;the' ; • linieaf become impatient.: aV ;tlie.. delay;.:. ;■:;:* ■irhich' took place in ; .serying'.BO many..»-. ;, .'j ■a'-'limited'Kme.\.i,.- ,, -..': V,;';' .'■',■.'- '■' r f j:;:,::: :;

' Subsflquently.: , : Majbr, . Milonald. > an-:: nouriced.to the:officers commanding <bat- , taliohs -.that immediate: steps' 1 had .been:' , taken"'.for of .the cadets, to. comfortable quarters' in :: the : drill halls at Hutt,' Petone,i and Wellington. K One - thousand" cadets" were to , be 'taken to the ; .■ Hutt : Drill, Shed,''.where' 'straw:.and -rationi ■;' .had,-, already, , :., been 1 :, provided; 'Another.' thousand "were- to'be : 'taten r'-intoy the: Garrisonjr.HaUivi:Buckle' , Street,:' where : : arrangements.were; in progi'ess to. receive." them. : The balance were ;to- he accommodated 'at. ; the'Drill ; Shed;at Petone;;; Every; { nossible.means would bb taken-to.- ensure/, thaf/thevhealth. of tiie?,boys^would; not; suffer in'any^.-way^fTohi ; their;, esposnre-; to '■' tho rain during'the parade. The ; authorities acted 'wisely; therefore, in im-., mediately arranging: for the . transfer of '• the cadets' to more'comfortable quartere..; ;