MILITARY SERVICE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1224, 5 September 1911, Page 4

MILITARY SERVICE.

Sir,—ln reference to the letter signed "Hibernian" in The Dominion of September 2, in which the writer refers to those who Tefuse to register for military training as cowards. This may or may not be so, but I think that it hardly meets the position, in some cases at any rate. Would "Hibernian" refer to those Christian martyrs (who in the past have euf-. ferred death and torture rather than sacrifice their religious principles) as cowards? Mistaken they may have been, but the fact that they died surely proves that they were anything but cowards. They would probably havo thought themselves cowards if they had saved themselves by taking the course which they regarded as the wrong one. We hear sometimes of a captain whose ship is wrecked going down with his vessel, even though he could ha.ve been saved. Such a man may have sacrificed himself for a mistaken, idea, but ho could hardly have been called a coward. "Hibernian" also says that those who refuse to enrol'.would look after themselves and leave-the fighting to ba dono by others in the event of an enemy attacking the country.' That may bo so of some, but there'may be others who have no wish to take a life; themselves, and do not want anyone else' to do so on their behalf. -It was nlso pointed out that the country needed improved defence, having regard to'existing circumstances in other countries. If that is so, one would suppose that ■ Now' Zealand, being an island, naval defence would bo of more value than land forces. 'One might also be inclined to think that to refer to thoso who do not agree with us in any matters as cowards, and so on, are not tho weapons of bravo men, but rather thoso of bullies^—l am, etc.,