MILITARY DEFAULTERS.

Evening Star, Issue 25225, 12 July 1944, Page 8

MILITARY DEFAULTERS.

TO THE V EDITOR. , . ... Sir, —The remit put. forward <by the South TaranaJki U.S.A. depriving military defaulters- of employment in Government, departments, and also of their civil rights for 10- years as from the I end of the war,' has. been adopted by the U.S.A. Dominion Council. . This ! remit means that the men . who ' have openly _stated they will not fight,, and have given a reason for their attitude, are to be made outcasts of society. They are to suffer for being honest. But what about the dishonest men? Do the R.S.A. officials wander around the country with their' ears and eyes closed? If they, do not, then their adoption of the remit is a joke which many people will enjoy. When'the Government started to class.certain industries as essential, the number of young men clamouring to find employment in such industries was fairly large. There are many men who entered these industries as soon as they were declared 1 essential who--admit they will not go to the front, and that they, are only staying in their present job whilst the warlasts. Then there are others who admit they are evading military service as long as possible. These types of men are in the dishonest class, but they are not to be deprived of their civil rights; no, they are reaping in the good old hard casli whilst the going is good. To add to the joke, the R.S.A. has never raised a loud voice concerning three members of the Government who would not fight in the last war, but went to gaol instead for terms ranging from one year to three years. The older members of the 11.5. A. fought for these three men between 1914-18, but they have not made any objection to being governed by them during this war. Nor did they pass any motion stating the activities of the lit. Hon. P. Fraser during the last War, in an endeavour to prevent him going to England as a representative of New Zealand. ' Had there been no appeals, and had all men been-.called-, up. when their turn came, every man would have had to make up his mind what he intended doing. This .being the case, there would have been justice in the adoption of the remit, .because no one would have been able to shelter behind the myth of essential industries. Even then there would have been the Christian pacifist to consider, but that is another matter —I am, etc., J. J. Jay. July 11.