COMPULSORY TRAINING.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1335, 12 January 1912, Page 4

COMPULSORY TRAINING.

4. ACT TO BE ENFORCED. Lieut.-Coloiiel J. J. Burnett-Stuart, U. 5.0., Director of Military Operations and lntolligence at General Headquarters, and at present in temporary command ut (lie Canterbury Military District, lias made an interesting statement to the Cliriftcliurch "Press" in reply to the question: "What steps will bo taken to enforce registration and attendance at parades under the Defence Act?" Everything possible, ho said, would be done to get the lads to register without any friction being caused. "I want it clearly understood that wo will do our utmost to avoid any harshness," he continued. "If it can bo shown to our satisfaction that a lad is quite tillable through some cause or other to attend parades, ho will be excused ftom doing so. ]f he deliberately attempts to evade his responsibility, however, lie will be handed over to the polico authorities— although this stop will bo taken only as the la.st resource. The penalty is, 1 think, a fine of ,£5, or fourteen days' imprisonment. Koine people seem to think that once they had paid tho fine they are under no obligation to trouble any further about tho parades. But this "is quite orroueoits. They can bo handed over to tho civil authorities to bo dealt with a second or even a third time. Of course, I don't anticipate any such extreme trouble as this, however. Personally, 1 have found some of tho most truculent youths quite amenablo to reason. It is only a matter of coming into personal contact with them and quietly explaining the whole thing to them, and disabusing their minds of any misapprehensions they may have. In many cases I have found that the lads are themselves willing enough to attend parades, but have been restrained from doing so by their parents. This fact has come out two or three times in Court In such instances the father will be held responsible. 'When once the public are fully cognisant of tho schomo I do not think there will be much trouble. Most of tho opposition comes not from tho lads themselves, but from organised opposition of people who arcnot eligible to serve."