MEN OUT OF UNIFORM

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23315, 29 April 1941, Page 12

MEN OUT OF UNIFORM

Sir,—l consider “J.H.W.’s” letter all piffle. She should be certain of her facts before she writes a letter at all. I know quite a few young men. otherwise eligible to go overseas, who are medically unfit. You would not expeot the unfit to be in uniform. I myself enlisted for the forces two days after the war broke out and have, not been called yet. I suppose I am a spineless individual because I haven’t gone yet. I can hold my head up and write my full name at the bottom and not a nom-de-plume. Why doesn’t “J.H.W.” come out in the open and sign her own name. If “J.H.W.” wants proof of my enlistment, let her com'? up to my place on the Mount Grey downs and see for herself: don’t judge the boys because they are at the races; let them have a good time while life is sweet. I am not a rich man’s,son by any means. Don’t get on to us colonials, but why not send aliens across who are eligible to go and help fight for the country where they are getting their bread and butter. I could not let that letter go unheeded as there are two sides to every question.— Yours, etc., _ , T. L. JONES. Sefton, April 28, 1941. Sir,—Apparently a section of the community is of the opinion that the farmers’ sons are not doing their share in the war. Some writers place particular stress on the sons of the wealthy farmers. I am sure Mr Nash will be pleased to know that there are still some wealthy farmers; because he told his flock at the Labour conference that if a man made £20,000 profit he had the greatest pleasure in extracting not only the £20,000, but £3500 as well. So I think that if your correspondent knows where these wealthy fanners are he should notify Mr Nash without delay.. I have-gone carefully through the farmers’ sons in the district in which I live,'and I can honestly say there is not one farmers’ son who has not done his best to get away to serve his country, Some are still on the farms through being turned down as unfit, but even these are still hoping to be accepted. Let me assure your correspondent that farmers and their sons are not shirkers. * History shows them to be just the opSosite, and if your correspondent takes ie trouble to find out he (or, more possibly, she) will flnd out that there is a bigger proportion of those connected with the land away at the war than any other section of the community. One of your correspondents absurdly asked if in the past a farmer’s son died, was the farm sold, because the farmer was unable to carry on. My answer to this-is: in the past on such an occasion there was not a war on and suitable men , were procurable. To-day they are absolutely unprocurable. I would suggest that the headmasters of the colleges and high schools in Canterbury be asked to furnish the percentages of boys who are of military age and who have been at their schools who are fighting, have been called up, or nave been turned down by the medical board. It must be supposed that the sons of these wealthy farmers who your correspondent complains of have attended one or other of these schools. I hope when the figures are published your correspondents will be as generous in their apologies as they are scathing in their ignorance.—Yours, etc., A FARMER. April 26,194 L