THEIR COUNTRY'S CALL.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 143672, 16 December 1911, Page 3

THEIR COUNTRY'S CALL.

GENERAL GODLEY AT WANGANUI COLLEGE. Officiating at the annual prize-giving at Wanganui Collegiate School on Wednesday, General Godley made a fine speech on the value ol discipline. Alter expressing his warm approval of the college cadets, whom ho had inspected the previous day, General Godley said he had been very glad to meet those cadets, for-under tlio new scheme of military training he looked to those boys, along with those ol other schools, to bo the backbone of the future citizen army. General Godley continued;—■ "A word about discipline. It is the best kind of individuality. People think that a man has only to take up a rille, and that unorganised effort will delend his country, but experience will show that this is not so. Military discipline is based on school discipline, and csprit-dc-corps and comradeship are the great factors which go to make up an efficient force. Boys, you have a great responsibility in the ntfiv citizen army and a great example to live up to. The roll of honour in the hall shows that 85 boys went to South Africa, several of whom lost their lives there. Some are still in the permanent forces, and we want more. I want.to see the boys do tlieic best, and make it certain that the Wa'hganui Cadet Corps should set an example to all others. You boys who are now going into the world as lawyers, doctors, etc., will later on be found in the ranks of the artillery, engineers, and town corps. The backblocks will provide us with mounted men, but, remember, yon should be as proud of your battery or regiment as yon are of having been at Wanganui College. You can all do your share. Y’ou will not all have the luck to ho soldiers 3(iu days in the year, but remember that, whatever your rank and however few days in the year it may ho, you have the honour of wearing the King’s uniform. In camp you will renew school friendships and old acquaintances. You can all make your impression felt in the new army, and set an example of self-restraint, good fellowship,, and obedience to authority and self-sacrifice for the good of your country.” He impressed his hearers with the necessity for loyalty to their superiors, and drew an object-lesson from the American Civil War, quoting the life of Stonewall Jackson as pictured in ‘'The Long Roll” (Alary Johnston), which, he said, ranked ns a wonderful example of what could bo done by a citizen army. General Godley concluded : "Lawyers, doctors, farmers, and business men will vie with one another to play the game, and if the evil day comes and we have to defend our country, this grand little bit of the Empire will do its part. If I am here 1 shall look to Wanganui College boys as the stoutest fighters, and if I am in any other part of the Empire I shall expect to hear that Wanganui boys were foremost in doing their duty to their King and country. What [ want to say to you in conclusion is that you must not wait till that day. Your country wants you now to set an example of cheerfully undergoing that drill and training by which only you can be prepared to meet the day of trial.”