Norwich bulletin., 1914-10-28

than there came ,ee report across seas that Belgian Boy E.outs to the jtunlber of ano:-t thirty had captured several German spies and es- .orted .hem to headquarters. A feS dag ater .his report appeared:
 ."rhe Germans are using Roy Scouts as taies acco..3ing to ranorts 3rcu 1slgtnn .rn,y officers. Co.splete plaas If thu Du.c.a fortress st M:.es.ricat were founf ba g Cssnrr.n B.,y-Sco.:t.'
 Nor Is :kis all. That E..rs,2e ilad con- .eded the possibilities Of the Boy Scout organizations n time of war was dem- ,nstrated when. some years ago. the French Peace Society Invited Sir Robert 2aee,.-powell and f,o0o Boy Scouts to -in. ade'' France ard march on Paris. It vas merely xbin,sical way of showing he friendly relations existing between he Engi:sii' and French nations
 But son after the announcement was made there came terrific protest. prin- .ipaily from military n:en The fnvad- srs were termed the "boy spies of Brit nn" and the fact that the march was finally permitted did not lessen the hos ility to it in certain quarters. Organized essentially in the inter ests of the boys themselves and with put the idea of war. these young scouts may become valuable aids to he embattIed nations. Those who be- lieve this point to the statement ac- credited to Maj. Gen. Wood that ''prac- tically all wars have been fought by boys."e
 French and English scouts have played an indirect part in the war. In the former nation they have. been de- tailed to carry provisions to the sick and wounded, care for old women, helpless men and children, and aid in reaping the crops upon which the men at the front must depend. In the lat ter nation they have been detailed to guard bridges, and, on occasions, aid Ehe poliee in preserving order.
 Everything in the Boy Scouts train Ing appears to have fitted him for war. He can march, find his way through iense woods, signal to his comrades either by the telegraph or the signal. lag, pitch q camp and generally rely upon himself. He can swim, shoot and run probably with more swiftness than a heavier and older soldier.
 No less an authority than Ludwig s. Dale of New York city, one of the national authorities on the movement and close friend of Baden Powell. has declared that in time fof war the Boy Scouts drill work and training in sig naling would fit them for military service
 Of the Boy Scouts in Europe, England
 
 lions Her organization is 100000 strong. Germany comes next with an Organization of 50,000. drilled in the same way, although they go by the name of "Pathfinders." Austria Hun gary has 15,O00 scouts, and her enemy. france, has 5000. Russian Poland alone has S,000tscouts, the total nun ser in the empire not being known. Seryia has 4.00O scouts Scandinavia, which of course is not n the war, has 10000 Boy Scouts The remainder of the European nations lave about 35 900 scouts
 About six years ago>sir Robert Baden Powell the English militarist upon learn ng that out of Englands 5000. GOO boys eW more than a quarter of a nsrion we're % enabled to have. proper care and training aegan to think seriously of trying to bf T aid Mere monev had been tried he. ore in various Nupift'' endeavors Thert must be something new. Thompson Seton he writer of antmalss 'haunts and habits lad seen the necessity for the same thins America and he had been expersment ng He, had called the groups O. lads h, woods lore 'The Woodcraft Indians" Ds1 Beard, then an editor, evolved anothe sooes sSe1ety called f1er rhe r e.,,, Sons of nanie f America
  It is really difficult to pin the badge q ionor for first thinking of the schem ,pon any one man, but it was Gen Baden Powell who. with fine exper;enc IS constructionfst set about the prac ical plans of the Boy Scout movement He had. shortly before the organization vas conceived, published text book o, he<subject of scouting for soldiers Thi book was utilized by various boys club md private schools with a surprising de tree of interest. so it's author was en outraged to devise some wide-reachin sian for all boys, whether belonging Hubs. going to private schools or Twin n the top of g. tenement or. on som onely farm. The general, a colcnel c1e Boer war, under Lord Edward Ceci ilen got together some English boys surrsyt He told them something of wha a,o boys. in Mafeking, Africa. had dor low ~ Lord Cecil had ialked to thern <''. ,cout tactics drilled shen,. and. gtvir hem uniforms. made them the prou messengers of the handful of weary me The general needn't have told hi roung audience how eager for duty thes eliees of their fathers and elder brotl Ers Ihe British boys on the vel5t yFer Is they rode o;s hicycias from fort brt with messages, acted as oraei,he Ind never once .hirl.ed tf:a dangers { rsai firing fine ic a real war. Tf ,aya, rs they s.staned to ,he story of 2 md the African lSa,.as were buhhlin rsc- w3.h desire .o searn sct only son' hing of :.amr life ti;;r;ng Lattle, b, he scsrets of nature uf::ch their b srirra told them were hidden in ti roods an' strasslns ,; Mccris, England.
  Ra1e1-pcwelfs id@a was to "teat he foys to teach themselves chara er." The Ns,rd scout" to your Apearica. suggests Fenimore Coop Lra e.Ngotter Indian trails, but your S-s'Isnd o..s Kir1ing as remind .har ia9 cro>tie- is still pride in the k,ne's erEeau"r, that exploring ar .oIo.izine :a or:e of Eaglands policie tn5 horde'' life IS just as stirring a1 Ls necessary for the glory cf Il ani3n lack Wben Sir Walter R hiPh ;i.eE. Teoda; Knights, too, a, sh1~al:ors .cours he peace uge hero !cld before them, and there is iitt inuht that kEfgar errantry in, Gil 1 "H.arce .nd color has haj much to E;th the p-opa,<anGa of tfe movcnae Sa '3r.sst ;s-ifain.
 Nearly an the trairIi1G i'll all ecu ries i3 given cut os doors. Sta-s a Hoc'i, rain ..nd sun. birds and b1tte lies, zach have tEeir part iG tne nc knowledge gained. Tracks ,-nG trac ng are studied, and to becorae even
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