THE TRAINING SYSTEM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17348, 20 December 1919, Page 8

THE TRAINING SYSTEM.

— m The plea made by Mr. Tibbs, headmaster of the Auckland Grammar School, for the restoration of the junior cadets should not be forgotten when the military training system comes under the review of Parliament. Such a review is necessary in the light of recent military experience, and there is some risk that the physical and moral value of training to the school cadets.may be overlooked as it was at the last revision. Sir James Allen has always cast his influence to the military side of the question, and military opinion is n'aturally and properly more impressed with the need for territorial than for junior cadet training. A new scheme of training has to be devised, but in his recent efforts to give public opinion a lead on the matter the Minister for Defence has not been particularly happy. He suggested, quite tentatively and as a matter of private opinion, four months in training camp, then a reduction of the period to two months. The chief result of this was to arouse opposition. The unpatriotic and the parsimonious found common ground in hostility to the Minister's project, and no effort was made by Sir James Allen or the Government to convince open-minded citizens of the advantages and necessity of the contemplated scheme. Undoubtedly New Zealand will accept cheerfully any training scheme that is properly called for in the interests of sound defence, and it is clear to all interested that a radical improvement on the present syllabus is necessary. But the advocacy of the change should not be personal and casual. The Government should take hold of the subject. It should get the advice of its best officers, bring a thoroughly matured scheme before Parliament, and lay it open for full discussion. In such a consideration the proposal to revive the junior cadet system should not be ignored though the main point for consideration is unquestionably the better and more efficient training of the territorial army. To say that the war is over and that we should economise upon defence is merely a repetition of the criminal blindness which cost us so much when Germany's challenge called an unprepared British Empire to a long and costly war.. ■