A QUESTION OF DUTY

Evening Post, Volume XCIII, Issue 46, 22 February 1917, Page 8

A QUESTION OF DUTY

TO THE EDITOR.

Sir,—l should like to answer your correspondent J. Taylor's letter in to-night's' Evening Post. Like a great many thou-; sands of other smen and women in New Zealand, I am" not of the same religion as himself and therefore do not expect to have the same views.

It seems to me that if we all held Jj Taylor's opinions as to whom we should send, to tight for.us, we should be doing very little towards winning the war, and should certainly not deserve to have it won for us. He considers that because the priests are respected, loved, and reverenced by their people, there-; fore to expect them to take a man's part in this righteous war is to hurl "insult and uncalled-for indignity" at their heads. Does he not know that the women of the Empire respect, love, and reverence the husbands,, sons, and brothers they have so willingly sent into battle for the sake pf our national honour? Does he imagine for a moment that our brave soldiers are lowered by the supreme sacrifices they have made? In 'his eyes, it is monstrous to think of the clergy carrying arms and dipping their hands in the blood of their fellow men. Does he think it is any less adhorrent for a mother to think of her fair young, sons in the same position? Is it anything but abhorrent for a wife to think .thus of her husband? Yet, in spite of this, they send them with a smile and a stout heart, knowing that to do one's duty, is the greatest thing of all. ••'*■■'■ ■ , ■

Let him think of the thousands of fathers who have been, and must be, taken from the clinging arms of their, little children before this war can end,; and then say that they clergy of all denominations, many of whom are young, fit, and unmarried, are to be set aside on a pedestal and not "insulted" by being asked to take their places as men beside their comrades. • , Surely if the spiritual needs of mankind are as great as J. Taylor thinks them to be, there are countless ways in which a priest, though a soldier, use Ms influence in this direction, even though he be in khaki instead of his priestly robes. Your correspondent says: "Let us feair to shatter the ideals of our people." I ask him what greater ideals can we, have than those of the men who are fighting to-day for the honour and peace of our Empire, and would: say to him and all others: "Go thou. and do likeI wise."; —I am, etc., [ A SOLDIER'S WIFE,. 21st February.