New-York tribune., 1912-02-10
ATE OATS AND HORSES
Baden-PoweII Tells Boy Scouts
Of Mafeking Economies.
LEFT ONLY HAIR AND HIDE
Hates War, He Says, and Aim Is
to Help Boys to Build
Character.

Sir Robert S. S. BADEN Powell chief of
the Boy Scouts. gave his young followers
an outline Of tho idea which actratod him
in organizing the movement last night at
the Hotel Astor, in his address at the din
ner given in his honor by the chief repre-
sentatives Of the American branch Of the
scout movement.
The praise that all the previous speakers
showerad upon him for his work Sir Robert
brushed aside and modestly asserted that
tho origin of the Boy Scout idea. which he
summarized as the training Of youth in
character" came from a period as remote
as about 500 y. e.
Also the guest OF honor qualified as an
adviser of young girls. although he didn't
tell them how long to boil eggs. He said
that hc had been Obliged 10 address the
Margaret Morrison Technical School in
Pittsburgh few days ago and. thinking
that the best lesson he could give those
young women would he on in domestic
economy, he proceeded 10 outline to them
few of the economies which were prac-
tised in the trying days Of the siege of
Mafeking
II don't know that ] should speak Of this
at dinner" he went on. "hut ] told those
young women plainly that when we began
10 look around with a view TO effeCtlnE
little economies wc found that we could
make good bread from the oats which the
horses had been eating OF course. that
took food from the horses. and they died
Of starvation at about the rate Of six a
day, which was Just about right, and when
we finished our economies about them there
was not a scrap Of them left"
Tho head Of the Roy Scout movement
corrected himself later with the statement
that in the Mafekng affair they did leave
the hair and the hides OF the horses. That
was pure waste. he said but the working
out OF their economies brought them 10
sour from the bones and. further than
that. 10 a practice Of taking the bones
that were left and grinding them 10 pow
der, which was used TO adulterate the flour
Girls at Mafeking helped the garrison
also, he said. by giving up their violet
powder, which was made into puddings
II made a very nice pudding. though some
what highly scented.
All that by way OF showing how the
girls could help in this scout movement, a
point in which the English founder took
great interest
Another thing. and a very important
thing" he said, ''is that there Is no Kind
OF soldering in this movement II people
knew how much | hate war. they wouldn't
suspect me Of trying to teach war TO boys.
War is not a thing we ever want TO see
in civilized country again"
Even drill was bad thing, Sir Robert
thought. chiefly because II would make the
boys feel too much part OF a machine
We're suffering from over civilization"
he said. while other peoples are suffering
from under civilization. 1t Isn't what we
learn in schoolrooms that builds character.
though what We learn there IL valuable, but
character is about the one thing We aim at
in this organization OF the Boy Scouts. We
suggest. and they take 1t up, and thus IL Is
something they learn themselves, not some
thing which is driven into them. and that
is the right way TO build character that
will last our lads through life.'
Sir Robert finished his address in the
form of stereopticon lecture. showing
slides from every form OF life which con-
trlbuted TO his ideas Of what he wants
the Boy Scout movement to be. lie
CLEANED his ideas evidently from the four
corners OF the earth. the Royal Mounted
Police of Canada to the Arabs of the desert
Through II all the founder emphasized me
point that the Boy Scout movement was
training in peace. and not training IN
war. though he admitted that the arts OF
the finished Boy Scout would be extremely
useful in the soldier.
Clifford Pinchot was the toastmaster. ana
among the other speakers were DR. John
H. Finley. Dan Beard Ernest Thompson
Seton. DIR. Luther II. Gulick and the Rev.
Or. Nehemiah Boynton.