MILITARY AND INDUSTRIAL TRAINING FOR BOYS.
[TO THE EDITOR Or THE " SPECTATOR." J SIR,—I feel confident that you will permit me to describe in outline an experiment, now in contemplation, which bids fair to have results of even greater national importance than were achieved by that in which you, Sir, and your readers were so patriotically engaged six years ago. It is the intention of a Syndicate to entrust to me the military and industrial training of some hundreds of boys, aged from fourteen to sixteen years, the number to commence with being probably 400. There is reason to hope that the London Territorial Association will be prepared to give "recognition," and that the War Office authorities may in that case be willing to grant, at a reasonable rent, the use of the Hounslow Hut Encampment, where the Spectator Experimental Company were trained. These facilities, if conceded, will obviously be of great assistance during the experimental stage of the enter- prise ; but if the success anticipated is actually obtained the necessary wheel buildings and workshops will hereafter be acquired or constructed. The idea is that after the boys have received sufficient military training the proceeds of " tournaments " and other exhibitions, military and industrial, will not only render the corps "self-supporting," but in course of time recoup the originators the money expended by them.
It being obviously imperative that the Corps shall become as soon as possible more or less self-supporting, military train- ing is to have precedence during the first six months, on the expiration of which period the "Trained Cadets" will spend their time principally in the workshops, except when required to take part in exhibitions. The training will be conducted on lines almost exactly similar to those of the Spectator experiment, except that, as it is intended to include one company of Naval Cadets, there will for that company be instruction in the service of the naval field gun; and if funds permit it is proposed to add, later on, a section of field artillery and a small company of mounted infantry. During the course of military training every boy will be taught Morse signalling, and all who show promise will afterwards be carefully prepared, if they so desire, for employ"' ent as telegraph operators. This is but one of many oases in which it will be endeavoured not merely to teach certain specified trades, in the carpenter's, smith's, shoemaker's, tailor's, and other shops, but to prepare particular boys specially for the vocation for which they appear to be best fitted, and for which they themselves have a predilection. Apart, however, from the necessity to begin as soon possible to earn money for the future support of the school, it will, I think, be generally admitted that the healthy out-of-door life led by the boys during their six months' course of drill, training, and gymnastics cannot fail to result in physical development that will prove of great value to them, not only at school, but afterwards, when engaged in their several trades. We hope to convert pale, anceinic, poorly developed boys from the large cities into rosy-chocked villagers, and eventu-
ally to pass into the Army and Navy and the skilled trades and callings stalwart lads physically and intellectually equipped for the battle of life.
Of misgivings I have none whatever. Assuming that the originators of the scheme provide sufficient money to bridge over the non-earning period, the rest will be easy. At the end of the six months the boys will drill like Guardsmen, and no light infantry in the world will be comparable with t tent in quickness of brain or foot. They will know what to do, and do it as a flash of lightning crosses the sky. If the Corps cannot, when trained, give exhibitions of efficiency, as sold iem, military engineers, gymnasts, &c., that the public will wish to see, and be prepared to pay for seeing, the fault will be mine. I am to have a free hand to select my own staff of officers and sergeants, and to engage a sufficiency of both. Therefore I shall have no excuse whatever if I should fail to achieve, from the military point of view, complete success. I am, moreover, satisfied that industrial instruction will be as amply provided for.
We shall hold tournaments and other exhibitions in various parts of the United Kingdom and in the oversee. Dominions, arranging whenever possible events open to the Boy Scouts, Boys' Brigades, and Cadet Corps of the localities visited. The time spent by our boys away from their workshops will not, in my opinion, be industrially wasted, for they will return after each period of a few days or weeks stronger, healthier, and generally better capable of applying themselves to their industrial labours than if they had been denied such occa- sional outing. Moreover, it need hardly be said that the number of boys engaged in exhibition work at one time will never be larger than necessary, and that a proportion will therefore be constantly employed in the workshops. Trained Cadets, capable of earning money for the support of their Corps, will, I may add, be well paid, and the learners will receive sufficient pocket money.
I trust, Sir, when the arrangements for this interesting experiment have been finally completed, that you will permit me to address you once again, giving details which at present I am not in a position to describe definitely. I need scarcely say that you yourself and readers of the Spectator who sup. ported the former experiment which you inaugurated will always be very welcome to visit the boys and see them at work.—I am, Sir, &c.,
A. W. A. PoLLomr, Lieut.-Colonel.
[We shall watch the experiment with interest. Until we know more of the details we cannot, of course, either criticise or endorse the scheme, but we trust that great care will be taken not to lay too much stress upon what we may call the "exhibition" side of the proposal. Occasional public dis- plays will doubtless do no harm ; but it will, we trust, be made clear that the boys are not actors but citizens in training. The provision of technical instruction if carried out on sound lines should prove most useful.—ED. Spectator.]
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