MIND AND MUSCLES IN THE ARMY.
[TO THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR.") Six,—Though fully alive to the dangers of athleticism, I cannot agree in your remarks on the proposal to allow bone as well as- brains to tell in competitive examinations for the Army. After making every allowance for the difficulty of discussing a some- what complicated question in ten or a dozen lines, I am still dis- appointed that the Spectator could see nothing in the proposal but the desire of the squires to substitute riding for reading. If we- are to select by a competitive examination, we should surely make that examination as searching as possible,—in other words, we should exclude nothing that can be fairly tested—and that will conduce to make the successful candidates good officers.. In such examinations we find one candidate succeed by one kind of excellence, another by another. One man is. very good in mathematics, another in history, another, who is- hardly above the average in mathematics and history, has- a talent for foreign languages. If it were proposed that in one of these subjects, say, foreign languages, there should merely be a, pass examination without any distinguishing marks, you would• probably say that the change would be unfair to those who have a talent for language ; but it seems to me that candidates who• have strong and active bodies can now complain of similar unfair- ness. Bodily strength and dexterity are, at least, as valuable to the soldier as the power of readily acquiring a foreign language. Why should there be merely a pass examination in these things ?' Indeed, there is hardly a pass, for the medical officer rejects only those who are out of health, or have some physical defect, as short- sightedness. Observe, I do not wish a man to be selected merely for his muscles, any more than for his modern languages ; but if a strong and well-exercised body is a good thing in a soldier, we- should allow the possession of it to count, when we are making our choice. You say that some of the greatest Generals, who ever lived would have been shut out of the Army by such a competition, but this would be true of a pass examination only. Every lad who is rejected for bad spelling, or shortsightedness, or weak lungs might have the makings of a great General in him, but we run the risk of this loss, for the sake of improving the average officer. Where physical excellence is only allowed to count among other things, powers of the mind might do more than compensate for weakness of body.
Before any change is made, might not our authorities adopt a plan which is common in Prussia ? There, when any such matter is under consideration, the Minister obtains by letter the advice of those best qualified to give advice. If the head masters of our great schools were invited to send in suggestions, they might, perhaps, point out some defects in our present system, and assist in obviating them.—I am, Sir, &c., IL H. Qtrzoc.
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