LATE DOMINIUM NEWS.

Mataura Ensign, 21 April 1913, Page 3

LATE DOMINIUM NEWS.

MILITARY TRAINING. ♦- UPBUILDING OF MANHOOOD. t>Eli TJNITBD PEBBB ABSOOIATIOW. CHRISTCHURCH. April 18At an impressive service at the Cathedral this afternoon the colors of the old Canterbury Yeomanry Cavalry were handed over by Colonel hon. 11. Heaton Rhodes to the custody of the Cathedral . ii. Bishop Julius in accepting the custody of the colors delivered a sermon., in the course of which belaid: "We have adopted a system of military training in this country, and I think it will be of infinite advantage to every one of us. The first purpose of this svstem is obvious enough. The men of New Zealand are trained lor the defence. of their country. Wars arc always deplorable, costly, and' generally futile, and we may well pray that God will give us peace and save the nation from destructive warfare. 'Pile apparent causes of war have oiten been trivial enough. In tormer (lays they were dynastic; in later, commercial; and of the two this is perhaps the more sordid. The real cause.; of war. however, lie deeper. The- arc buried m the character of race and are perhaps inevitable. We may pray for pea-re and rest-rain warlike ardor, but we cat; scarcely hope to avert war. It is necessary, Therefore, to be prepared, and that' is the first ground for military training. '1 here is another, however, which,' although .secondary, is perhaps of primary importance to the country. 1 mean the discipline and training oi our manhood. I believd that lor certain purposes there is no "reate-v ami no better school in the world. In the life of' a young country like, this there is an 5 absolute necessity lor such training. It is a soft age. Men do not cultivate hardness. They prefer seats with , cushions and to ride rather than to walk. Third, it is an undisciplined age. There is no discipline in the home and very little out of it. Self-discipline is not reckoned as a necessary element to the development of the man. Last, and you will not mind my saying it, we want training in manners. There are many of t'he manhood of New Zealand who think it is a right thing to push their own way no matter who is pushed into the gutter, and -assort their independence by discourtesy -and rudeness. Ihey do not realise that a man shows his own self-respect most certainly Vihen he teams to respect other men and ■rives to them that courtesy ami civility which he -rightly believes are due to himself.. Now, I believe that a good military teaming .is qualified to meet just such need's as these. ITie system is not a class movement. The whole country is brought under it, and that is as it ought to be. Every man/has to servo his time. It also provides a school for tho training of body and mind The time will come, and- will not be long in coming, when the men tv-ill cease to complain about the quality of the food or about anything else. Thev will understand: that it is possible for a man to lie on a pLank and sleep on it, and to sleep in wet clothes and eniov them. It takea a man a while to discover that he is a much oreater man than he thinks himself and that he' as a m-uch stronger man because ho can taste a little hardship without whining about it. The system will teach the men obedience. Lastly, it teaches men comradeship.. Uiey como out of an isolated Irk*, companionship of men of all class® and all kinds, actively employed, and that, too, is good for manhood. 1 am looking forward to the time when military training in this country so tar from stirring us to strife and waa', mil make our men resolute, strong, and hard, and will raise up a, manhood among us that will be greater than the manhood of tho past, and I am suie if by such means we can train our men thev will be better men m every i(sp>ect, better men m the service of God, King, -and country.