AUSTRALIAN CADETS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 127, 21 July 1911, Page 7

AUSTRALIAN CADETS.

OUT OF CONTROL. A few incidents that marked the beginning of compulsory training in Australia showed clearly the necessity of teaching the young Australian a Ittle discipline. The lads who assembled for drill at the Erskinovillo school grounds, Sydney, absolutely refused to obey orders. When told to fall in they deliberately sat down and smoked. The commanders tried calling the roll, but as some of the lads answered for others, who might or might not have been present, the result was valueless. .By dint of •personal persuasion those in charge induced the cadets to hue up, but it was anything but a soldierly line. When the order “Dress by the right,” was given, the response was a unanimous “baa,” like the bleating of a sheep. The order “Salute by numbers; one, two,” met with no better reception, the boys calling out “Two, three, four” .etc.' At length the' orders “Eight turn” and “Quick march 1 ' were given. These were obeyed, but the lads added waltzing and singing, which were certainly not in the programme. As they went along in a waltzing gait, they sang lustily, “Yip-I-Addy-I-Ay” and “What’s the matter with Father?” Another order was given, and was lion ted by a youth who came directly under an officer’s eye. “You do as I tell you,” the leader said. “I beg your pardon, mister,” was the reply, “I did’nt quits grip what you were saying.” When a general disregard of orders became more evident, it was stated that the squads would he retained all night if necessary until orderliness prevailed. This had a good effect on most, but one daring youth resented the edict, and picked up some slimy mud and bespattered the uniform of one of the officers. No punishment beyond detention for an hour or two seems to have been inflicted. Among the crowd of spectators who watched the disgraceful scene were some who appeared to regard it as a joke. It is only fair to the Victorian cadets to say that the cable message we published stating that fifty lads at Yarraville had disobeyed orders and pelted their officers, proves to have been incorrect. It seems that a number of young men came on to the parade ground, advised the cadets to disobey orders, and, broke up the parade by throwing stones. This, of course, was sufficiently bad. Occurrences like the outbreak at Sydney make one regret that instead of the moderate amount of training these lads arc to undergo, they are not to experience the benefits of two years’ service in barracks, remarks an exchange.