THE CALL TO SERVICE.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15489, 17 January 1916, Page 7

THE CALL TO SERVICE.

to ttie rniTOB or "the iuess." Sir,—l _am oae of the thousands of ..merj. who, to quote the Prime Mini&- : • tor, "are now called upon to make a t .decision." I have come to an irre- „,£& oca ble decision, so late as to-day. and t iJSfter reading my morning paper..* $$ J opened "The Press" this morning, jS&and immediately, noticed Mr -Massey's lllipneai, and read the sam o carefully, lipS .twice through. It was not a ilaonvirieing appeal in many ways, but wgyßd/its gooa points. I turned over cuolo page:—behold a verbatim reRiffrof the \Voolston meeting, packed Hnwta Ked -Feds, rank disloyalty, openly jß|fß7oWodj and an offensive and hostile l&Ootion earned. I made my decision then. Whilst such men "iree,_ overyoue else can too.' a little business which yields £200 a year,, and keep two &potal„a9pendents. Although my busi§lr' w *s*®presents a . very good percentage capital, apparently I. cannot uke a' price, so as f c to Iraye the wherewithal for my depen. ' I havo tried for six months 'KhgW'away, because I am .powerful robust health, but unless I .total financial disaster, I free, and this is where tho iniquity and unfairness of - enlistment comes in. ■ Red Feds say they iiMSw/ftQd out for -voluntary service. 4 cowards, they are frightened and they would not. fight for ■ a year * I have been m bf a conscript army ever since •.wd • enough .to reason such for myself. That is the only ".'M. to rajse an' army. The exLabour men say that tho rich ' esc "l )c ' They aro liars, and *Bow_ that they are liars when sa J r J* - There are shirkers in and no greater porwill bo found than among tho |L?eu Bed' clement that Sourishes in Ikw? 1 ■ 80 ? "worher pure and joln issuo with them, bccauso that by so doing I amidonmyself with honest, straight®&ard. working men, business men, men, etc., ivho form the ®Sfo|r.'P*rt of tho community, and I «WW;rthe3o may soon assort themselves, Si§«?ii. a l ea 4® r (there is none sncii pfflrW present Parliament), an d bring remorseless system of compulsory service for the period of tho r5f n i* abandon my hardP& t r Easiness and go off with a |i relatively light heart, knowing that I my rifle to defend "the thirty thousand" of cowards f«c thorough-paced rotters—Yours, It- i NATH. E. JAMES. i Lincoln road, Cbristchurch. I January 14th, 1916. "