MILITIA SERVICE AND EDUCATION [To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR]
Silt,—Major-General H. L. Alexander's letter, like many pub- lished in The Spectator in recent years, expresses much indig- nation and misrepresents the facts.
Boys of 18 and 19 mix with those of 20 and 21, and older, in ordinary life and at the Universities, but they also in due course reach the age of 20 and 21 while at the Universities or in the same business. When boys of 18 are sent to the Militia for six months they are pitted against young men two years older and more experi- enced than they are, and are never themselves in the position of having two years' advantage over younger competitors. To an Alexander or a Pitt this would not matter at all, but to the average boy it matters a great deal that in all his work, his sport, his social intercourse as a militiaman he will be com- peting against those two years nearer the prime of life.
Major-General Alexander thinks the average undergraduate is at a loose end during the Long Vacation. Most of my work was done in the Vacations, and I thought that was the general rule. To me the best time for most undergraduates to do six months' military training would seem to be immediately after they had sat their final exam., but a truly democratic measure would imitate ancient Athens and impose two years' training for national service on all youths from 18 to 20.—I am, Sir,
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