UNDER 21

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 199, 24 August 1942, Page 2

UNDER 21

Many parents and young soldiers are grateful for the efforts of your paper to get the position clarified regarding the liability for service overseas of soldiers under 21. These young men do not attain civic rights and privileges, neither have they the right to marry without parents' consent. How, then, can it be morally or legally right to compel them to leave their country without their parents' consent? Then there is the wider issue—Australia announces the return of two full divisions to face ;the invasion menace. What about New Zealand? Is she to depend on the unfit and the Home Guard? The latter would do their best, but there are many among them who are utterly knocked up by their ordinary week-end training. How could they carry on any sustained action? What is the use of talking about the arms and equipment being sent here if, as soon as the soldiers have mastered their use, they are to be sent overseas? For successful defence New Zealand must have a standing army of fit men. Australia has no delusions on that subject.

BLINKERS OFF.

Should the Government decide that our sons (who must have a parent's consent) are to be sent out on "active oversea service," it will not only be a grave breach of faith to us mothers who willingly work for victory, but to our sons as well. Boys under 21 desiring to enter the navy or air force must have their parents' consent, which proves that the Government has no right to send our boys on active service without parental consent. Should the Government insist on the regimentation of under age boys for active overseas service, I feel sure that every freedom loving mother will protest against a spineless system that takes not only from herself, but from her son. My husband, who is a veteran of two wars, confirms my belief that boys under 21 have no business to be on active service. He believes that at that age boys are not matured enough in soul or body to undergo the horrors and rigours of a ghastlv war. "It is a man's job and an ugly one at that." MUM.