Soldiers in the Making.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLVII, Issue 21, 22 May 1912, Page 7

Soldiers in the Making.

ROYAL MILITARY COLLEGE OF AUSTRALIA—SELECTION OF CANDIDATES—NO APPLICANTS FROM NEW ZEALAND. NO. 11.

THE Duke of Wellington is reported to have said that the battle of Waterloo was won on the play-ing-fields of Eton. And why not? Soldiers of all times have been devoted to the mimic' warfare of games, and the average British officer is usually an athlete. In this respect Duntroon hopes to fall no whit behind the traditions of the Old Land. Members of the staff take a keen interest in the various games. Every facility is being gradually provided, and the equipment should in a short time lie of the best-. There are already six tennis-courts, football, and cricket grounds, and an obstacle course, Bats rackets, hockey sticks, etc. are issued to any staff-cadet who cares to have them charged against his allowance, d’ractieally everyone plays, and the value to character and health is hard to estimate. To be successful at gamos a boy must (brain himself in all that makes for alertness and resource; to be fair lie must cultivate generous instincts and crush down all that is selfish and petty. Discipline, loyalty and 10operation he finds indispensable to carry his side to victory. Surely such virtues practised in the playing fields will be carried into the sterner games to come. Jest now football is the game of the hour. Rugby is strongly represented, and the New Zealanders at the college include some {food players, Mr. Jennings of Christchurch being the captain of the first fifteen. Selecting the Best. After all. however, sport is but an auxiliary' to the 'college course. Cadets must show their mettle in military and other intellectual exercises before they can be judged. A capital system of marking is adopted throughout tor actual classwork and examinations. On the combined result of these tests a graduate’s place is fixed. A certain standard of proficiency is demanded, quite within t.ie capacity of each cadet. The expense of maintaining the college is too great and the need for absolute efficiency is too imperative to permit of any paltering. Staffscadets whose work or whose general conduct is reported as unsatisfactory are brought to the notice of the Commandant, who may recommend their removal. Where he thinks them worthy he may advise that they be allowed to drop a year, i.e., to spend another year in mastering the work they have failed to do, ifi which case they join the next class below them. But no second chance is given. This year two staff-cadets were forced to take the first year again. At the close of the course the total marks in all subjects are added and the result decides the places of the various gentlemen in the graduation lists. The most distinguished are specially mentioned and their names published. They are also rewarded by receiving the racist (coveted posts offering at the time of graduation. Yearly prizes are offered to encourage deserving students. It will ibe of interest to New Zealanders to learn that Staff-Cadet Miles of New Zealand was successful in gaining a prize last •year. Afterwards. Naturally parents inquire, “What does all this lead to?’’ It is a pertinent question and one that must be answered. Tew men would be prepared to submit their sons to an arduous cour.se of training for four years with no definite goal. It may be said at once that positions in the New Zealand military forces are guaranteed to all graduates. Compulsory training has made much positions possible and necessary. 'Che demand for competent officers is. and will be, for years in excess of the demand. The number of (New Zealand cadets is based on the requirements of the Defence Department. The liest answer to any doubt as to the certainty of positions is the fact that the New Zealand Government is paying heavily for the training of each officer. So it falls that every staff-cadet will receive a commission on graduation. .Some (Will go to areas, some to engineers or artillery, and ultimately many will find their way to stuff appointments at headquarters. On graduation each cadet will

probably be given a year’s extra training in India or Great Britain, being attached in each case to a British regiment. This is a prospect that is looked forward to by all cadets with the most arden't pleasure. Salaries. The question of salaries at once crops up. In a new system such as is -being developed now throughout New Zealand, it is impossible to forecast accurately what will take place. I am not at this distance conversant with the rates of pay prevailing throughout New Zealand; but it is presumed that they are approximate to those which hold in Australia. Here a subaltern, immediately on appointment, under the present system receives £2OO per annum and, subject to passing certain examinations, gains successively the ranks of captain, major, and lieutenant-colonel, passing by regular increments to £OOO a year. This career is practically within the reach of any one of average ability and earnestness. Beyoral this there are higher positions open to officers of special ability carrying salaries up to £l2OO a year. There is a strong movement, however, setting in throughout both Australia and New Zealand for the development and strengthening of the military forces. With such a certain expansion in view, many new positions must be open to officers, all of which will be filled by graduates from the college. It is a fair assumption that the prospects of graduates are then much better than those at present existing, good as they are. Expenses Wben Officers. The next question asked is: “ Are not the expenses to which officers are subjected through mess charges and general upkeep of such a character as to make private means necessary to supplement even the liberal salaries indicated above?” As one who knows, I say, emphatically, No. The majority of officers both in Australia and New Zealand have no income beyond that paid by the Defence Departments, and they have the commonsense to regulate their living expenses accordingly. The impression that officers necessarily live in an extravagant way is wrong, and arises from a false analogy with some of the crack regiments in England. There are no such crack regiments in Australia or New Zealand, and if there were we have, no such class to officer them as England offers. Entrance. This is by open competitive examination. Lord Kitchener suggested nominations from senior cadets who were ready to pay £BO a year. 'The Fisher Government, however, decided to make it quite free, so that the best, brains in the country could be placed on an equal footing. The full strength of the college is 100. In three years it will take in and turn out 40 each year. New Zealand will send and receive 10 of these annually'. Candidates must he between 16 and 19 years of age, and unmarried. Boys who wish to enter for the examination should first write to the District Commandant or direct to the college, and get particulars regarding the conditions of entrance. These, with the necessary forms, will bo at once forwarded to those inquiring. The first requisite is a medical certificate of physical efficiency. This may lie obtained sprite free of charge. Then comes the competitive examination, which is held in November of each year. Specimen papers may lie got from the college. The standard is rather below that required for matriculation, and includes papers in English, history, geography, arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and general knowledge, with two further papers of a more advanced character, the subjects to be chosen from mathematics, physics, chemistry, French and German. A matriculation pass is also accepted. Candidates are advised to study in a special way for sonic 12 months before presenting themselves at the examination. The more advanced candidates will not only have better chiuices of a place, but will find their course through the college made much easier. There is uu examination fee.

Successful candidates arc taken in hand by the college authorities at once, and trained for the next four years ■without any cost whatever to. their parents, even as regards clothes. This cannot be made too clear, and is remarkable as showing that there is an institution at the call of every New Zealand boy which provides him with a fine professional training free of all fees, and afterwards guarantees him a place in an honourable profession—a thing no university in the Dominion can do. The one -condition made by the authorities is that all staff-cadets should bin! themselves for twelve years, inclusive of the four years spent at the college. A resignation is only accepted in very special circumstances, and in such a ease parents must pay a fine proportionate to the cost, of training up to date of resignation. After notification of -success, cadets need not join till the following March, when the new college year begins. Warrants are then issued, covering all travelling expenses, to bring the selected gentlemen to Duntroon. ()■ arrival a warm welcome is given them ■by all in residence. Those who came from New Zealand this year were at once put- in good heart by the cordiality of their reception. Their comrades, after murmuring fragments of vague horrors-to-come in their attentive ears, proved themselves ready with voiie and hand to lend a ready help in difficulties. Upkeep. On arrival. £3O is at once allotted each staff-cadet for the purchase of uniform and equipment. A military tailor attends at the college, and measures all freshmen for the requisite clothing. While in residence a fixed allowance of 5/6 per day is made. This pays for messing, extra clothing, instruments, sports, and sporting mat rials, books, laundry, etc. Should any balance be left to the credit of the cadet, it is kept till he graduates, and then handed to him. If at the quarterly balance it is found that he has exceeded his allowance, his parents are called on to make up the deficiency. This has, however, not yet occurred. Nor is it likely. The allowance is found to l>: quite adequate. Under no circumstances are parents allowed to send any money to their sons without special consent of the Commandant. An exception is made to this rule with regard to poeketmoney, an allowance up to 5/ a week being permitted each cadet. Parents usually send this in a lump sum to the Commandant, who disburses it each week. The foregoing provision is made to put all on an absolute equality. No cliqueism or class distinctions are dreamt of at the college. Bullying an I ragging are also kept firmly underhand. It is a very stronghold of comradeship, of thoroughness, and of health. Not Appreciated. It is a remarkable thing that this fins institution has in part failed to appeal to the people of New Zealand. 'This year the Dominion sent a number below its compliment, because there w. re not candidates enough. These articles have been penned by a man who knows the place thoroughly, and who is convinced that if parents only realised the character and ideal of the college, its high moral tone, its fine discipline, its appeal to all that is manly and generous in a boy, and the certain career it offers, there would never again be a scarcity of applicants. Of course, it will attract mostly lads of daring anil imaginative type; but there are thousands such in New Zealand. No military tradition has become established in families here as in the old country. But it must come. There are families in Europe and America who are proud to have at lea-st one representative of eaeli generation carrying out a career as a soldier. Ideals of life decide these things. If a man wishes his son to be rich' one day, lie must seek an opening elsewhere. If he wishes him to have a profession that is honoured by the people, that is marked by the highest discipline of mind and body, and that offers unlimited chances of personal distinction, he ran safely make of him a staff-cadet. Every graduate should emerge from his four years' training not only a good soldier, >1 good athlete, and a goo! fellow, but a man of tact, education, and refinement.