EDUCATION IN THE ARMY
Sta,—A friend and former student of mine, at present serving as private in the Army, was recently being interviewed to ascertain his educational qualifications. The senior of the two interviewing officers, a captain, took him in detail—as my friend told me—" from the cradle to the present day," eliciting the facts that he had graduated in Arts with Honours, proceeded to a Doctorate of Philosophy for a work of post-graduate research, and spent seven or eight years as a schoolmaster. When the Captain had finished, the other interviewer, a subaltern, took up the running. His first question was "Have you matriculated, my man? " "Matriculation" evidently was the highest step of the educa- tional ladder which he had ever heard of.
Surely, before an officer is detailed for this important and rather delicate duty, it should be ascertained that he has some elementary notion of the matters on which men are to be interrogated. Such a display of ignorance can hardly increase the ranker's respect for his
Previous page
