HIGH SCHOOL CADETS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17113, 19 September 1917, Page 6

HIGH SCHOOL CADETS

*a»—. ADDRESS BY MAJOR SLEEMAN. After the Otago Boys' High School camp at Tahuna Park had been struck on Saturday, Major Sleeman, director of military training, addressed the assembled paraae of nearly 400 cadets. After criticising the work performed during the camp, Major Sleeman stated that the standard of their spirit of. enfjeavour, discipline, and endurance had boon of a high' character." He had been particularly impressed with their steadiness on parade and the manner in which thoy had responded to tho efforts of the instructors. Given discipline end " esprit-de-eorps." or, to use perhaps a better term, "soldiering spirit, a unit could be expected to attain to a high standard of military efficiency. Their own unit possessed both these desirable qualities, and he congratulated them on this fact and on their recognition of tho essentials for future success. Thoy would understand that the road to complete military efficiency was long, and possessed many pitfalls and temptations, which only the most self-sacrrficir.g and determined could avoid They were now well on their way along this road, and, if thoy maintained their present ardour, the prize would become theirs. They -muist see to it that nothing tempted them en route, for modern warfare demanded a standard of discipline and efficiency that could be attained only by tho progressive and continual effort of many years of cadet and Territorial service, it was their privilege to belong to a country the military achievements of whoso sons had astonished the world. Their sacrifices had been great, and the places of those who had fallen or become incapacitated dnring tho present war, those heroes who had offered, all on the altar of King and country, would require to be filled in their homo defence force by the cadets. They must always remember that they li-ved in comfort and seonnty to-day because those gallant souls had formed a bulwark of safety over which the vast and powerful _ sea of tggression had endeavoured to pour in vftin. They should not become dispirited or anxious because success took long in wooing. There was little in this life worth tho having attainable without careful preparation, hard work, and cheerful endeavour. Between their'own dear country and/possible aggression of the future there were, two forces only. Those were the cadet and Territorial forces. The latter was as dependent on the former as the present Expeditionary Force, now gathering fresh laurels at the front, was dependent on the constant and uninterrupted supply of -well-trained and disciplined teinfcrcemcnt.3 Therefore, young as many of the cadets were, they must strive to remember the great honour, duty, and responsibility which was theirs, and refuse to be discouraged or tempted from the complete attainment of their military goal. Above all. it. should be borne in-mind that their great Empire did not train its soldiers for purposes of aggression or plunder, bat to hold what they now possessed. Halfway or inferior standards of either discipline or military efficiency were useless and illusionary. Their standard must be set at the highest if peace and prosperity were to be safeguarded in the future. They had seen the result of depending on the charity and honour of unscrupulous foreign neighbours. A. high standard of military efficiency probably means continued peace in the future \nd certainly ensured vast economy in both lifo and treasure in the sad event of future

wars. It was hotter to prevent than euro iioolc to it that, after their school or professional work and thfiir athletic games, they placed military training next untfl they were' satisfied of their capability of prop?rl;defending their country. As to their present standard, tho major said he was more than satisfied with what they had accom-pHslv-d: in fact, he. could congratulate tlifm on havins attained the mancimum standard possible in their time together. Although not the most efficient cadet unit in the dominion, for thero were three units very far up the road to complete efficiency, they were shaping in a manner which convinced him that they would one day rival these. A greater compliment he could not pay them. Their officers would work hard to heln tbem to this end; the rest remained with the cadots. When the time arrived for cadtfc units to bo seen together thev must see to it that their own stood out as one of tho beit. In saying good-bye, Major Sieeman wished tho eadets tho very best of 8-3CCCTS in their military efforts.