o-morrow." Taking his pencil, he wrote as follows:

"To General Gordon. Be good enough to inform the officers,
non-commissioned officers and men under your command of my
appreciation of the keen interest and great zeal they have shown in
carrying out their duties during my lengthy inspection. They are
doing well, and it has been a pleasure to me to have been present
with them during their period of continuous training.

"(_Signed_) KITCHENER."

This Order, I knew, of course, would be most acceptable to all concerned.
Next day, just previous to their leaving for Melbourne, Captain
Fitzgerald, his personal secretary and close friend--who later on,
unfortunately, was drowned with him--told me that I should be proud to
receive that Order, as he had never known "the Chief" to have issued one
in a similar manner before. During his visit he reminded me of the
conversation we had in South Africa when I asked Lord Roberts's and his
opinions on my scheme for the Universal Service. He heartily
congratulated me on having achieved what then he thought my too ambitious
hopes, and assured me he would support the movement heart and soul. This
he did, as his report proved.

I think it only fair to the Government of that day to say that they did
carry out the whole of his recommendations, and that every one of his
suggestions was in force within three years after his visit.

Practically all men of any importance, politicians, business men, working
men, one and all enthusiastically helped. A considerable improvement was
noticed, not only in the general bearing of the trainees, but what was
much more important, in their physical and moral development. The
keenness of the lads themselves was proved by the extra time voluntarily
devoted by them to receiving instruction to qualify as officers and
non-commissioned officers, attending courses of lectures, special parades
and rifle matches. The police authorities throughout the Commonwealth
were asked to watch carefully and report as to whether, in their opinion,
the system was influencing the character of the boys generally, and if so
in what directions.

In 1914 reports were received from the police in all the States. They
were unanimous in stating that, "in their opinion, the behaviour of the
youths who were subjected to the training had vastly improved, and that
the principal effects of a beneficial nature were increased self-respec