RE-EXAMINATION OF C2 MEN

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3198, 24 September 1917, Page 6

RE-EXAMINATION OF C 2 MEN

Sir-I shall be glnd'if you can help me by answering the following ques'"(l)' Were not reservists of the Division clearly given Medical the verdict of the Military Medical ■Ronrd.would be final? . . . (2 H 60, Why are C 2 men rejectee under the Military Board now asked to present themselves for a further medical eX ( a 3)"ln the'case of a First Dlvisl sewi'st having been rejected as a volun tary recruit, then having againßejected under the Medu*l Board, d°» it not seem hard that such an Mdmdual should be prevented from inakiing: to his betterment, through the uncei tainty of his position regarding military sir, X know New Zea l?" d find the men, and ; singlei men wrth- . out dependants must l>e the first to make sacrifices I do feel that'there should he some finality to this Sontinuri loss of time And constant uncertainty. Personally I enlisted a few month after war broke out, just after I arrived in this country from England. I was rejected. Then after two years of susj peiise—during which time I could not see mv way clear to make further expenditure in connexion with my business —I was called np in the ballot and again rejected on the same grounds. Believing this decision of the board to be final, I risked all I had made in foilr years U.ud work, to further establish myself m the business of my adoption, only to find months subsequently I had. to come up a train for another examination. °I understand from articles that have appeared in The Dominion that if previous rejects are passed as fit they now lo into camp, ready for service abroad; and if training and special treatment wilt serve a useful purpose, uncertain men will be sent to such a camp, classed as CI men. The question to me, also others similarly circumstanced, is what will the Government do should i-hoso previously rejected men, now classed as CI men, do should training tail and our discharge notices issued? I am sure you will agreo that very many Im men accepted positions on farms, or entered other business, etc. to relieve other 'men medically fit for the .-rout, thu» doing what they could to assist the umpire. Furthermore, many fit nien leit these 6liores the happier, with the knowledge that their businesses or farms were being well looked lifter by these C 2 men. But what will happen when the aforesaid C 2 men aro alscr called np for active service? I am afraid there will be trouble. As a commercial traveller I have met quite a number 'of men who have been served with notice to again present themselves. Many of these men are Englishmen, like myself, who came to New Zealand without friends or position, and not only sacrificed all that was dear to them t

in England, to try their luck in Nc-w Zealand, but were the first to .enlist when tho war broke out, thus' again proving their i grit and patriotism. ; Personally I hold that it is Itf-far tho yreatei- sacrifice to join up from.the country uf their adoption than from that of their birth An Englishman joining, up from. England is in the happy position of being able to leave his possessions with his parents 01: relatives whilst ho goes to the front, but if he joins up in New Zealand -or anyother country of- his adoption lie sells out everything, bag and baggage, of value and of sentiment, even to U. school or college trophies-all have to b| sacrificed-and yet nearly one-fourth the meh that have left the shores Zealand were bom in the United Kmjr dom. In countries like Canada, Ainei,ica, and Australia, which are better known or closer to the English snores, tho proportion pro rata is much, creator. _ A - though I would not belittle any vidual action of any section or the ritish Empire, much less crave ( ppecial preferential in matters military for Englishmen residing in Zealand, I certainly do think, as they have sacrificed everything they held dear by leaving England and tryingtheir luck in the British Dominions, they slioiuo. when.once they lave been rejected by the Military Board be allowed to earn their living in the country of their adoption free from further uncertainty. Be it remembered New Zealandere, an Englishman can "play the game" (as returned soldiers. here will agree). He detests any- ' thing that is not "cricket." Therefore the announcement that after enlisting and being rejected, and again failing under the board, does not permit him to earn his living free from further obligations, -seems hard indeed, and can only cause him to ask. Is this cricket? Is this British justice? In conclusion, sir, may I aek is there no member of the House who can raise hia voice on the question of the proposal of tie re-examination of C 2 men? Have the single Englishmen no champion ol' their ea.u6e? You expect everyone of us to prove ourselves good citizens. Our parents open their doors to your sone, fighting your Empire's battles, when in England. Surely tho milk of human kindness has not dried up?—l am, etc. A C 2 ENGLISHMAN.

[In reply to the ipain questions a ®^ el ]; "by our correspondent we may state thai, reservists of the First Division were not told that the medical examination v,oulil be final in the sense he uses the expression., No reservist is relieved ct the liability' to serve so long as his name remains on the register. No name is removed from the registec unless it is clear bevond all doul)t that a man is vnfit for service, that is to say, if he is blind-or a permanent cripple or insane. The reas-ffl for this is obvious. No one can tell how long the war will last, nor -whether it may not be necessary in course of time to reduce the standard of fitness required. Thd hardship mentioned by our correspondent is a very real one, but the "finality" he asks for cannot be reached, save in cases of men plainly unfit, for service, so long as there is no nnalitv to the war. wherever possible, that is to say wherever there is any degree ot certainty as to a man's permanent unfitness for actife military service, the faovernment should make the fact known to the individual so situated.] \ .