The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-05-18
By F. CUNLIFFE.oWEN.

4 EANKIND owes a heavy debt Of
MI gratitude to Lieut.-Gen. Sir
Robert Baden Powell, Colonel
in Chief OF his old regiment. the Thir-
tenth Hussars, whose name always
will be associated with one OF the
finest feats Of arms Of the South Afri-
can war OF twenty years ago-the
heroic and successful defence Of Mafe-
king. For he Is the founder, the orig
inator and the master organizer Of the
worldwide Boy Scout movement, which
has transformed our boys from shipper
ing Lord Fauntleroys. from intoler-
able young cubs and from equally OBJ
Jectionable young prigs into very use
full members Of the community, with a
sense of discipline. Of self-respect and
responsibility imbued with a determi-
nation TO make good" rather than to
"be good" into lads that are as whole
some in mind as they are in physique.
II the movement has been Of in
calculable advantage in the present 1t
is certain TO bring still far greater
benefits in the future, for the Boy
Scouts OF to-day, with their admirable
training. developing all that Is best in
them and imbuing them with princi-
pies of order, decency and honor, can
not fail to grow up into patriotic citi-
xens. Indeed, the world will reap. in
the generations now growing up into
manhood and in those yet to come. the
full measure of the fruits Of the won
derful Boy Scout movement.
Movement Eleven Years old.
Sir Robert Baden Powell started the
Boy Scout movement about eleven
years ago under the most adverse cir
cumstances. At the time pacifism was
in the air in Great Britain, where the
people displayed the utmost reluctance
to make the pecuniary sacrifices in
dispensable to the maintenance OF even
a preposterously small army, and
abused the late Field Marshal Lord
Roberts as a scare monger owing to
his preaching. all in vain, alas! the
doctrine Of military preparedness. The
public frowned upon the Boy Scout
movement, initiated by Baden-Powell,
as an attempt to militarize-Prussian-
ize was the word employed-the youth
OF the United Kingdom. 1t was as
sailed and ridiculed from the pulpit,
from the platform and in the press,
and, above all. II was discountenanced
and discouraged in every way by the
War Department and by those who
were then in authority at Whitehall.
who chose to denounce It as a Baden
Powell scheme for acknowledgements.
Fortunately for the Boy Scout
movement, 1t excited the interest and
in course OF time won the good will
and support OF that grand old soldier
Lord Roberts, who was quick to APP
preciate the fact that boys trained
according to the plans Of Baden
Powell would grow up not only into
FIRST rate citizens but also into we'll
disciplined, and therefore useful de-
tenders OF their country.
King Edward Ia Converted.
Through the veteran Field Marshal
the attention OF the late King was
attracted to the organization. This
was of great service. Efforts had been
made TO prejudice the monarch against
Baden Powell and therefore anything
with which the latter was identified
could not expect to md much favor
at court. No man, and assuredly no
sovereign, was ever more ready to ad-
NIT and to repair a mistake in Judg-
ment than Edward VII, especially
when there was any question OF in
justice connected Herewith. He was
too much OF a man of the world, too
broadminded and too generous to be
obstinate. The Boy Scout movement
started in 1908 and in the early fall
OF 1909 the authorities OF the War De-
partment and Baden-Powells many
adversaries both in and out OF the
service were startled to read In the
daily newspapers that he had been
commanded by the King to visit
him at Balmoral The Generals stay
at the Highland home Of his sovereign
was prolonged for several days. Ed
ward VII. went into the various
phases OF the movement exhaustiyely
with Baden-Powell. made certain very
useful and practical suggestions that
naturally were adopted and ended by
giving his hearty and enthusiastic ap.
proval to the organization, promising
the General that he would take the
earliest opportunity possible TO review