SCHOLARSHIPS FOR SOLDIERS

Marlborough Express, Volume LIII, Issue 167, 16 July 1919, Page 2

SCHOLARSHIPS FOR SOLDIERS

THE SCHEME IN ENGLAND

GEN. RICHARDSON EXPLAINS THE POSITION.

It was suggested recently that a doubt exists whether some of the New Zealand officers and men who have been awarded university scholarships in England under the New Zealand Government scheme are as yet physically fit to take advantage of the facilities granted them.

Brigadier-General Richardson, who while in England was ultimately responsible for the administration of the scheme, was asked about the matter. "I don't think that there need be any fears about the fitness of the men who have been given scholarships," he said. "The selection rests with a special board, at the head of which is Colonel Stewart, New Zealand Director of* Education and a professor at Cambridge University. An applicant has to show his educational qualifications, and must produce a certificate from his commanding officer to the effect that he has don© good service in the field. He also has to show that his health is good enough to enable him to take the course." General Richardson added that altogether 50 scholarships had been made available, and between the armistice and his departure from England twenty had been allotted. He indicated thai ih©"beard had followed a conservative policy, and had no£ awarded'scholarships to any candidates except those who were likely to make the fullest use of the courses and in their subsequent careers to give the Dominion a return for its outlay. The scholarships, he said, were not confined to Oxford and Cambridge. A good proportion of the holders were taking courses in science and engineering at Glasgow and other universities, One object that had been kept in view was to prevent any sort of "camouflage." The scholarships were tenable for two years, and every effort had-been- made to see that they were really worth having. With regard to university scholarships allotted to New Zealanders under various other schemes prior to the armistice he was not able to speak definitely, but he could say that so far as the New Zealand Government scheme went everything pos. sible had been and was being done to assure that the fullest use was being made of the scheme. General Richardson said that lie was glad to hear that the New Zealand University was granting concessions to returned soldiers. He hoped that no effort would be spared in giving the men all possible opportunities to obtain university training in all cases where it would' benefit their careers. He believed that there ought to bo a liberal and widespread scholarship-scheme to meet the needs of returned men.

_ (It was one of the English University Scholarships that was awarded to Majoi- McNab.)