DOMINION DEFENCE

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 33, 2 November 1929, Page 13

DOMINION DEFENCE

SYSTEM OF CADET TRAINING GOVERNOR-GENERAL ON ITS VALUE Reflections on matters relating to the Defence policy of the Dominion were the keynote of an address given by His Excellency the Governor-General, Sir Charles Fergusson, at the New Zealand Club yesterday. He also touched briefly’ on the land question and on some of his visits to various parts of the Dominion. , . . , Their .Excellencies deeply appreciated the kind things which had been said about them at these valedictory gatherings, said the Governor-General. They had now been in New Zealand within six weeks of five years, and had been even further afield than Auckland and the Bluff. Her Excellency had penetrated to the Three Kings, 50 miles beyond the North Cape, and they had been to Stewart Island in the south and Chatham Islands in the west. The Chatham Islands were a wonderful place, little known and little appreciated. He had no conception of the wonderful pastoral facilities possessed there. The soil was very fertile, but could not be properly developed owing to the want of communications. The unfortunate thing was that for a bale of wool it cost 255. before it got to the market. The cost of freight was prohibitive. Unconventional. It was difficult for one in his posi-' tion, said His Excellency, to speak on a serious subject of interest to New Zealand, because he was hedged about by constitutional practice and custom. He read in an English newspaper the other day a paragraph to the effect that be had spoken in a most unconventional way on several occasions, and it made him ponder somejvhat as to whether he had overstepped 'the mark. However, he did not wish to enter into controversial matters; nor to criticise the policy of any Government, and still less to dictate his opinions to the people of New Zealand. What he had to say were simple reflections on matters of general interest with a view to reaching a better understanding of the problems confronting them. His Excellency then spoke on the question Of boys on the land, and, when the occasion and conditions were suitable, of permitting immigration of suitable people from the Old Country for settlement. He instanced the work being done in this connection by Flock House, Salvation Army, Church of England, and the Public Schoolboys’ Association. Under the last there were from 800 to 1000 boys oh the land in New Zealand, of whom 50 per cent, at least could be called Al, boys who had farming in their system and were determined to make good. The number of failures was very small. He quoted a letter written by one boy, who said that New Zealand was not a country of cannibals, nor a land flowing with milk and honey, but where a man who was willing to work hard could earn a good wage. They must settle down and keep out of the clouds. They must not listen to the man who said they should be getting double their wages, and urged them to learn their job. Work hard and keep at it, and they were bound to get oh in. New Zealand. Defence Matters. His Excellency, referring to defence and the Changing conditions and policy, said he would say nothing as to what the policy should be. The question had been asked, what was the use of Territorial training? Before the war he did not think the training of much use. He had not been six months in the war when he had to swallow his words in every way and confess that the Territorials from Home were quite up to the men of the regular divisions, and as efficient as one could possibly wish. The amount of training,, which was similar in New Zealand to that at Home, in the Territorial system was quite sufficient to form the nucleus for a force which could be made efficient for war in a very short time. Be Prepared. At the beginning of the war New Zealand, owing to its system, was able to send a division abroad at once, said His Excellency. It was able to occupy Samoa and cut German communications, and more or less gave us command of the Pacific. On the other hand, Canada, only ten days from the seat of war, had no such training and was unable to put a division in the field until April, 1915. Let them think of the value even one division would have been in the early days of the War.

Besides the Territorials they had C'ndets, and, if he spoke ns a soldier, lie would say the early training the boys received was invaluable. What they learned, little as it might be, made them capable of expansion in a very short time. He did not look at it from a military point of view, but psychological. Whatever else was done, ho hoped the Cadet system would remain. The Cadets did a limited airfbunt of drill, which was something far beyond military training, as it developed discipline, action, selfcontrol and concentration of mind. It would be a misfortune if the Cadets were dropped.

In conclusion, His Excellency said they would always have the happiest recollections of their, stay in New Zealand. Mr. A. Fair, K.C., who presided, aud who bad made eulogistic reference to the able manner in which His Excellency bud

discharged his duties as representative of the King, then presented to Sir Charles Fergusson a silver kiwi mounted on greenstone, which His Excellency said would never fail to remind him of New Zealand.