MILITARY CAMPS

Otago Witness, Issue 3414, 20 August 1919, Page 23

MILITARY CAMPS

DIVIDED OPINIONS ON THEHt USEFULNESS. THE MORAL EFFECT ON YOUTHS. At the conference between the Returned Soldiers' Association and members of Parliament last week, Mr Statham asked Lieu-tenant-colonel Colquhoun to give his views on the proposed four months 'camp. Lieutenant-colonel Colquhoun said that looking at the proposal from the purely military point of view, no doubt such a camp would make- for efficiency—for turning out a military machine. But then, of course, they had to look at it from the other point of view—tho taking away of youths from their ordinary civil life. There was no doubt if they got men for a continuous period, say, three or four months at a time, it would make for military efficiency. He thought for a country like New Zealand it was necessary to hive an organisation. The great strength of tho Territorials was that they provided that organisation. It was necessary to have the machine for training their officers and their n.c.o.'s. The Territorial forces supplied the officers and n.co.'s. They should have classes for them and get them well trained. It was not altogether necessary in a country like New Zealand to have the rank and file trained, because if they had tho organisation—the officers and a fairly large proportion of n.c.o.'s—it did not take long to train the rank and file for any emergencies. Mr Statham: Has tho camp a bad moral effect, as stated at the meeting of ministers in Christchurch ? Lieutenant-colonel Colquhoun said that all depended on who was running the camp. He did not believe in the suggestion that such a camp would have a bad moral effect. Where, however, a large number of youths gathered together there might be a certain amount of looseness. Ho had had experience of camps, both in New Zealand and .abroad, and he had no time for such arguments as had been put forward. One great thing in camp life was that when youths ■, got_ together they knew how to deal with their 'fellow creatures, how to work with then>, and how to be more tolerant. They came back to civil life better men, more tolerant, and better fitted to carry out their ordinary duties. They were stronger not only physically, but morally, too. They had nothing to fear on the moral side for young men getting into camp. Later in the evening Mr Walker, M.P., also referred to the question of Territorial camps. He said he- believed that there would be very grave exception taken throughout the country to the four months' encampment for 18-year-old boys. It was perfectly clear, ho thought, on reading the papers, that there was an objection right throughout tho whole of the country, and he did not think the Government would be successful in having that, at any rate, included in the system. That, however, was? a matter for debate. He did not think, if such a course became necessary in the future, that this was an opportune time to 1 "' institute it.

IS THEIR MORAL INFLUENCE BAD? DISCUSSION BY AUCKLAND PRESBYTERY. (Fhom Our Own Correspondent.) AUCKLAND, August 13. The proposal of Sir James . Allen that youths of 18 should undergo four months' training in military camps was discussed by the Auckland Presbytery last evening. A committee appointed to consider a communication on the subject from the Christchurch Council of Churches submitted the following resolution : —"The Presbytery, while believing that every able-bodied man should be ready to defend his country, has strong moral objections to militarism and the formation of a military caste, and believes that before any addition is made to the pre-war system of training the whole question should be carefully considered by representatives of "the people in the new Parliament. The Presbvterv is strongly of opinion that the proposed four months' segregation of our youths of 18 in military camps is open to grave objection from a moral standpoint." The Rev. J. W. Shaw, chairman of the committee, moved the* adoption of the resolution. He said that members of the committee were not pacificists, but they did not want the country, to be dominated bv a military caste. All the opinions 'the committee had been able to get pointed to strong objections on moral grounds to the segregation of youths in camps. The Rev. I. Jolly, who seconded the ■motion, said he viewed with alarm the introduction of anything approaching militarism into New Zeakwnd. The committee held that no change should be made in the training of youths until the people were able to express their opinion at the. approaching elections. The Rev. A. A. Murray, minister of St. Andrew's Church, said he thought it would be a very great mistake for the Presbytery to put any objection in the way of military training, in view of the fact that all other nations, • especially those involved in the recent war, would not cease the training of their young men. Earl Haig had said that as far as he could see there would be need of Territorial camps. It would be suicidal on the _ part of our ration to cease military training as long as the present spirit was in the world. What the Church should aim at, and it should be the supreme task of the Church, was to change the spirit of the age. Previous speakers had referred to the bad moral influence of camps. It was for the Church to see that its young men went into camps clean in body and mind, and well fortified by the word of God to withstand the evil influences of camp life. The committee had affirmed that it was the duty of every man to defend his country. That being so. was it not necessary for men to be trained effectively ? The Rev. J. Pattison said the proposed period of training was rm:ch too Ion?. Tlie nino days in camp under the present Territorial system imposed a severe test on the characters of, young men. . "The language of the average young fellow in tents—one hesitates to say it—is unspeakably vile,"'Mr Pattison said. "I would be distressed if my boy Ijad to go from his hotno Jnto where this blasphemy and vile 'hash' is." The Rev. R. Fell, a returned soldier, said the spirit of militarism was fairly rampant in the land. His experience of military camps was that fh« were crowded like beasrts and fed like beasts. It required only on© or two men to get the upper hand, and they demoralised others.

Tho Rev. D. J. Albert said ho considered no good purpose could bo served by taking a youth away fr«pi his mother's influence and putting him in camps where all sorts of temptations presented themselves. The motion was then carried, Mr Murray alone dissenting. CHRISTOHURCH, August 13. The* Presbytery unanimously carried a motion of protest against tho proposed four months' continuous military training of youths, considering that most of tho work in the scheme could be better conducted under the Education Department. SIR JAMES ALLEN'S PROPOSAL, PROTEST FROM AUCKLAND. AUCKLAND. August 12. The Auckland Presbytery considerod to* nighfc resolutions in regard to Sir Jamea Allen's military training scheme recently passed by tho Council of Churches at Christchurch. The Presbytery passed a resolution to the effect that before any alteration was made in tho present system the question should be considered by the new Parliament,, and also expressing the opinion that the segregation of youths in military campa was open to grave objections from a moral standpoint. AUCKLAND, August 14. A well-attended pxiblic meeting in the Town Hall concert chamber, presided over by Mr Holdsworth, a member of the Auckland City Council (Mr Entrican deputy Mayor, also being on the platform), passed with two dissentients a resolution against the proposal to give youths of 18 four months' military training in camp. WELLINGTON, August 12. _ The Wellington Presbytery to-night carried _ a resolution condemning the Defence Minister's proposal to extend the defence system by training the youth of the country for four months in camp.