CADETS IN BRITAIN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20562, 13 May 1930, Page 12

CADETS IN BRITAIN.

STATE AID WITHDRAWN.

PROTESTS IN PARLIAMENT.

SPEECH BY EARL JELLICOE

[from or; ii own cohhespondent.] LONDON, April 4.

Tho Government has decided to withdraw the grant from cadet corps in G„reat Britain. Tho matter was discussed in the House of Lords on Tuesday, and last night Earl Jellicoo referred to it when he was acting as chairman at the annual corps' display of the 19th London Regiment Cadet Corps:

Lord Jellicoo said ho felt sure that those who had seen the work of the cadets that evening must hope with him that tho recent withdrawal of tho Government grant to tho cadet corps of the Kingdom would not result in the death of those corps. lint, of course, it lay with tho people of this country to see, if thoy wished tho cadet corps to continue, that they were financed with tiio necessary funds and one of the appeals addressed to them that night was for money to continue this great cadet movement, even after the withdrawal of the Government grant.

The speaker said ho could not conceive that anybody who had seen that night's performance could think otherwise than that the training given to tho

cadets was of the greatest possible value. There were accusations, of course, that it bred a militarist spirit among the cadets;

and, in those clays of Kellogg Pacts, Locarno Treaties and Leagues of Nations, it was looked upon ns wrong lor cultivate a military spirit. Ho expressed no opinion. Apart from any military spirit, lie had seen nothing in that night's show but what was of tho greatest possible valuo in the way of training.

Sudden Change in Policy

In 'tho House of Lords tho Earl of Onslow called attention to tho policy of the Government toward tho cadet corps and moved for papers, lit; remarked ori tho sudden change in the policy of tho Secretary of State for War in this matter as revealed by the fact that when tho .Army estimates Avert) published on February 28, a sum of £10,700 was provided for grants to tho cadet corps, showing clearly that at that lime, at any ratd", Mr. Shaw was not of opinion that cadet corps should be suppressed "on moral and educational grounds," which, they had heard since, was tho excuse for their suppression. Such an excuse would bo insulting if it were not so absurd. Was it possible to believe that the cadet corps and the Church Lads' Brigade were in any way subversive of morality ? It v.as perfectly ridiculous. It had been stated that the advisers who had induced Mr. Shaw to change his views included certain individuals who were members of tho National Union of Teachers.

Tho Earl of Denbigh said ho found it diflicult to understand (ho mean, contemptible and pettifogging action of the Government. Because, of the objections of a few masters, who he concluded came, from that tribe which seemed to cultivate the sort of diseased mentality which saw red the moment it began to secj anytiling approaching military formation, the Government had taken this course. He hoped (hero would be a stroyg expression of opinion from the country on the subject, and lie, thought the Government would find they had made a great mistake. The Government's Attitude, Earl l)e La Warr, Parliamentary Under-Secretary to Iho War Office, said tho position of tho Government was quite delinito. They believed that military training for boys, the vast majority of whom wore under 16 years of age, was undesirable. (Cries of "Why?") Because they wero living in times when they talked a great deal of the League of Nations and the Kellogg Pact. Was it; contended that it was necessary for Iho security of tho nation to get hold of boys at 12 and start training them ? (Cries of "Yes.") The Government said it was not and took their stand on that.