APATHETIC YOUNG MEN

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 117, 19 May 1937, Page 12

APATHETIC YOUNG MEN

"Gunner" writes: —"It has interested me to read the various letters written with regard to the Territorial Force. It seems to me that the criticism levelled against those who devote time to make themselves efficient is either the sport of negligence or the refuge of ignorance. Criticism of the system can be made only by those who actually are serving with the Territorial Force, and. as I myself have served during both the compulsory training and the present volunteer system it is possibly with a surer knowledge that I wish to criticise some of your correspondents. The very nature of Army service demands sacrifices of personality and a necessity of obeying orders, and these two

points, I feei, constitute the true reason why our. Defence Force is undermanned. The young men of the Dominion are averse to authority; they are disinclined to do as they are told, and they have a reluctance to put aside say two evenings a month for drill because it might interfere with their 'social engagements.' Still further they are self-conscious of being seen in uniform; they consider perhaps that it does not suit them; or that to clean buttons is too much of a fag. If these young men would join up and drill, they would find the Permanent Force men ready to help them, and to take an interest in their personal training, and they would find, too, that each arm of defence has its own particular requirements of skill and knowledge. There is a great amount of the training year spent in familiarising the troops with their equipment and tactical methods of using it to best advantage. If a trainee likes to do just a little more than the parades to learn his drill, he will find that encouragement will be even more generous than it is to the ordinary recruit. To those of us who are training now, it is.most galling to hear the instructors adversely criticised; they have a difficult job to do, and it is done in good heart. Are we not flattered in our conceptions of our stalwart youth, when we think of the tremendous enthusiasm shown by the young manhood of Britain —and of our near-neighbour Australia, in joining the Territorials? Let our criticisms be turned to our own apathy, and let the Defence Department manage its own affairs."