MILITARY DISPLAYS.

Evening Star, Issue 22383, 6 July 1936, Page 11

MILITARY DISPLAYS.

TO THE EDITOR. g; rj 1 have read with ■ mingled feelings the letters recently appearing on this subject. Personally I have just completed 11 years service with the Territorial Forces of Tsew Zealand,, having voluntarily given my time and efforts in the attempt to keep myself reasonably efficient to assist in the protection of my country in an hour of need. I wonder whether instead 1 should have taken up the attitude of your correspondent “ Advance,’ who expresses extreme pacifist views and also apparently desires to belittle the efforts of people like myself—yes, people who realise that as long as militaristic nations actively prepare for aggressive warfare, , self-protection demands preparedness even hero in New Zealand. “ Advance ” would probably change his tunc in the case of a national emergency, when this country would have to moboliso quickly lor selfpreservation. He would then probably write letters to the papers about the “ unpreparedness ” or the “ inefficiency ” of the. Defence Department and Territorial Forces. Any intelligent man or woman who has studied the method ; of modern warfare realises the ghastly truths in the following descriptive verso written by an anonymous author:— War, a dirty, loathsome, servile, murder job ; Men lousy, s’ecplcss, ulcerous, atraul; Men stunned to brainlessness and gihberinns ; Men maim ad and blind; men against machines Flesh versus iron, concrete, flame, and wire ; Men choking out t’’e : r souls in gas; Mon squelched into the slime by tramping feet; Dead bodies used to build a trench again ; Men disemboweled by guns five miles away, Cursing with their last breath the living God Because lie made them in his image. Bather blunt ami to the point isn’t itr Yet despite all this, common sense tolls us wo must prepare, and even military displays in _ times of peace help tremendously this state of preparedness. Hero are the reasons:-

1. Efficiency and discipline in units is strengthened by preparation for public appearance. 2. Esprit-de-corps, or pride in the efficiency of the unit, is kept strong. 3. Public displays in the past have encouraged recruiting to our Territorial Forces, which even now are sadly below strength. Public displays thus fill a definite psychological need in military training, not for the purpose of evil propaganda, but for tho reasons stated above. Ideals are all right, but we must face facts.—l am, etc., Volunteer. July 4. •