THE CHIEF SCOUT.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 58, Issue 233, 2 November 1929, Page 6

THE CHIEF SCOUT.

"HOUSE WIFE."

(To the Editor.) Sir, — I ask space in which to reply to the letter -from Mr W. D. Johns (Acting Commissioner, Hawke's Bay Boy vScout District) in your paper of October 29 under tfie ahove headiiig. I do not admit any misconception in miy letter -of October 26. It was addressed to _ reasoning mothers,. fathers^ and guardians and contained in itsetr sufficient evidence to prove Its conten-. tions. Mr Johns state-s that the referehees I quoted from Lord BadenPowell's own writing are "merely ilIustrations "to show boys clearly how they can play eersain games" — if "war" games, "well and good— if the - games of my youth, the illustrations are at least poor and at the most useless. Mr Johns quotes the general (Lord Baden-Powell) from "Scouting For Boys," as4 sayiilg, "Tliere is no mililtary meanihg attached to Scout'ing." May I, bv the courtesy of a friend. quote the same author from the same hook? Page 19 tells how the Etupii-e was made by harL fightiiig, and that "we have many enemies ahroad," and tbat tliey are "growhig .daily stronger and •stvonger.'.' Page 73 eays, "AYe have " many poiverful . enemies round about us in Europe who want vfiry mucli to get li'old bf tlie trade in our great liianufacturing towns, and of our vast farm lands in our overseas dominions." Page 235, "The Royal Xavy is open to you, a fine service with its grand traditions, its splendid ships, glins and seamen. Or there is the arniy . . . . in which you can wear the iiniform of your country and do ggbd work in every climate under *the sun." It.is also of interest to recall that the Boy Scouts' uniform is officially recognised hy the War Offiee. not -tlie Home "Office ! One final quotation from tlie Boy Scouts' Magna Oharta, "Scouting for Boys,"_ — ■ "There are always jnemhers of Parliament who try to makes _ themselves popular with the vofcers in England (Kew Zealand) so that they may get into power. These men are called " politicians. They do not look to Ihe good of the country, most of them know and care very little about our overseas dominions. If they had had their way before we should have by this time been talking French; and if they are allowed to have their way , in the future we may well learn Germau or Japanese, for we shall he conquered by these. Fortunately there are other better men in Parliament who are called statosmen. These are men wlio look out for the welfare of the country and do not miiid about heing popular." So Winston Churchill, , Lorcl Birkenhead (Galloper Smith). and Joynson Hicks are "statesmen," whilst Ramsa.y MacDonald, Philip Snowden, and Imrd Hugh Cecil are "politicians," and the i'ormer ar© "better men" tban the latter. What a fitio case for disannament and peaoe the Chief Scout makes out in "Scouting for Boys." I could go ■furtlier, but I think sufficient has been said to justify my first letter in the pjinds of all reasoning, and therefore iniprejudiced, mothers, fathers and cfiinrrlinns. — T nill. etc..

Taradale. November 1, 1929.