COMPULSORY TRAINING.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10449, 1 May 1912, Page 2

COMPULSORY TRAINING.

<>— ' TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —I notice by some of to-day's papers that the senior cadets are in a very unsatisfactory position. Tho officers are complaining that they cannot control the unruly lads. Now this is very interesting to mo because the militarists have declared time and again that under this Defence Act they would catch the shirkers and larrikins, and turn them into such fine young fellows. One of their chief arguments tn favour ol compulsory military training, and yet wo have them now complaining that they cannot control them. Now it stands to reason that these young larrikins of our cities are not going to act like little angels under this military training system; the military training will not mako men of them. Well, what are we going to do? How are wo going to train them? We mil be able to train them when wo commence to give them a training that will interest them. Further, there should be places of entertainment and instruction for tho young men, where they could spend their evenings instead of on tho streets. If these thousands of pounds that we are spending on huge armaments were spent in providing places of instruction for the young men what a vast amount of good would be done and how many young lives would be saved from ruin. Whilst we are paying all our attention to preparing huge means of defence against foreign invasion (which is unnecessary) wo are neglecting one of tho greatest things, the training of boys and girls for manhood and womanhood. We may have all the means of defence -oossible, but if ive neglect that great duty the nation will go down into oblivion.—l am, etc., ALFRED LEWIS.