CADETS.

Evening Star, Issue 7449, 18 February 1888, Page 1 (Supplement)

CADETS.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —In the Christchurch telegrams in your Thursday’s issue an item occurs to the effect that General Whitmore inspected 1,010 Volunteers, among whom were 350 cadets. The paragraph goes to show that the cadet movement has a more congenial soil to flourish in there than it has in Otago. Compare this number witlr the number of cadets that mustered at the parade in Dunedin during the previous week, I consider, sir, that military men, Volunte>r officers, and the Defence authorities generally should, in justice to the community whose money pays all defence charges, foster the cadet movement. From it the eftie’ent Volunteers of the future should be drawn, and better soldiers they would be for early training. Besides the value of the cadet force to the adult Volunteer, it has a higher value which should also be recognised : The habit of obedience is promoted, as also is that of systematic deference to superiors and manly deportment. These all go to help in the formation of character, and there can be little doubt that neither of these qualities is too prominent in the daily conduct of colonial young gentlemen. Anyone who has attended the Volunteer encampments of the last two years must have been very much struck with the rawness of some of our citizen soldiers, and such an one cannot but acknowledge that the force would be better if the men had been “ caught early ” and had the advantage of some training while young and supple. Several Volunteer authorities have openly declared that the Canterbury men were superior to those of Otago in d : soiplino and deference to officers. It that be true, then perhaps the encouragement of the cadet forces gives a key to tire prime reason. I would urge that all boys should be practised in every species of military movement, and in the use of weapons by the agency of cadet companies, and then when war does visit our shores the enemy will find itself face to face with a nation drilled from childhood. The Colony might retrench considerably on the Volunteer system if it could be felt that behind all there is a rising generation ready trained prepared to make good soldiers in the course of three or four years. — I am, etc., Eciiej.onv Dunedin, February 11.