EQUAL SACRIFICE FOR ALL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 219, 16 September 1939, Page 8

EQUAL SACRIFICE FOR ALL.

Now that the anti-Chamberlainites have their wish and all the boys born at the time of the late war are at each others throats, I would like to suggest that the only son of a soldier who is buried abroad or lias died since the war from the result of war injuries, and wliose widowed mother is still alive, should not be accepted for service in the combatant ranks without the consent of the mother, and in the event of conscription these boys should be exempt. Equal sacrifices in Wood and money is my motto. What cruelty to take a woman's only son after her husband's sacrifice—a lonely old woman for the rest of her days. At the Armistice ceremony in London there" are places of honour set aside for these lonely brave women whose "Hearts are bowed down by weight of -woe." These women had their husbands and in some cases all their sons taken from them and killed. Is it, fair for one family to give all and another family nothing? If the war is likely to last three or four years, as stated from Daventrv, I suggest that 110 man who is lucky to be out of the Army should be allowed to draw any wages or salary above his household expenses, no matter what, position he holds. The serving mau should be the best paid. If people were truly patrioticthey would make this sacrifice voluntarily. The money saved this way should be collected 'by the Government and used for purposes that are sure to crop up. W. MALTBY.

May I endorse the views expressed bv your correspondent "Young JlaTried [Man"? 'Many men are torn between conflicting lovalties. On the one hand there is theii 1 duty to their country, on the other hand 'pressure is put upon them wait for conscription, and s<> once again it is the idealists and adventurous who bear the sacrifice. I know personally of cases where young men arc giving up good jobs and prospects of marriage in order to d" their duty and arc called fools for doing so 'by people who should know better and who. I feel, are not worth the sacrifice? being made tor them. This war is being fought for civilisation itself, and the Government should not hesitate to introduce a form of graduated conscription. We Britishers pride ourselves upon our love of justice, and fair play. Ther" is neither in the present system, and everyone knows it in their hearts, whatever they may say to the contra<rv. TRUE DEMOCRAT.