MILITARY TRAINING.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume II, Issue 181, 16 July 1912, Page 5

MILITARY TRAINING.

THE NEW DEFENCE SCHEME. ITS APPLICATION TO JUNIOR CADETS. [BY TELEGRAPH - SPECIAL. ] Wellington. July L 5 Major-General Godley (Commandant of the New Zealand Defence Forces), appeared before the Education Commission to-day and was asked certain questions in relation to the military training imposed on Junior Cadets. The General, in reply to ques-] lions, said that he did not think that boys should be given military training under l-l years of age. Fourteen! years of age was time enough for any] kind of military training. He ap- ] proved the demilitarising of the Junior Cadets. The Junior Cadets, he added, were put under the control of the Education Department in order to protect them from the military authorities (laughter) and *o prevent them from doing a great deal of military training. The effect I produced had been the very onposite to that intended. A separate military control had been set up which, lie could not recognise. On arrival at the age of 1-1 years a boy was handed over to him. Logically l. could not accept anything a boy had done up to that time, therefore they had to start, afresh. The chairman (Mr. Cohen): You have got to re-train them •’ The General: Yes. I have had m. thing to do with uhai they had done in military training. I have no knowledge of what has taken place. A separate bogus and anomalous military organisation has be?fi set up for the Junior Cadets which I cannot recognise, because, from a military point of view, it is undesirable. It did not affect the military authorities because they could not roegnisp. it. The officers carried the titles of officers, they had no commissions and the organisation was a purely military organisation. He was enormously interested in the Junior Cadets, but the position was quite illogical. They could not accept any form of military training set up independently of the military organisation. Rightly or wrongly lie happened to be the head of the military forces. He believed very much in the Box - Scout movement and also believed that certain portions of it could be adapted to both the Junior and Senior Cadets. For boys under fourteen years of age he xvould make he training physical drill with a very little military training. In Australia the Junior Cadets were not allowed to wear a ur.form. and they were not given rifles, but they xvere under flip Defence Dep-irtmcm. In Australia a boy xvas also not alloxved to carry a rille or do any military training before he was 14 years of age. The chairman: We may take it that yon urge falling into line with Australia ? General Godley: That is so.

The chirrnrui: And that ll:o xvhole cadet system should be under the control cf your Department General Godley: I don’t see any objection to their remaining under the control of the Education Department so Jong as they do not perform any military work. Continuing he sa'd that he saw the greatest objection, however, to their having military recognition under present conditions as happened in the case of officers. If they xvere to have military recognition they would have to be under military control.