Feilding Star, Oroua and Kiwitea Counties' Gazette. MONDAY, MARCH 6, 1910. MEN WHO WON'T GO.

Feilding Star, Volume XII, Issue 2887, 6 March 1916, Page 2

Feilding Star, Oroua and Kiwitea Counties' Gazette. MONDAY, MARCH 6, 1910. MEN WHO WON'T GO.

The departure from Feilding to-day of another company of men who have offered their services for the front reminds us of the generous response made- in this town and district to the call for men and more men. It is to the credit of Feilding and district that it has kept right up to the mark, and has all along beon over rather than under its quota in the enlistments. This is highly creditable to our young men and is an encouragement to those gentlemen who have voluntarily acted tho unthankful but wholly patriotic part of personally canvassing eligibles and urging them .to leave the plough and the pen and their civilian posi-' tions to follow the flag in tho greatest j fight for personal and national freedom the world has ever had to put up. We are well aware that, to their shame and disgrace, there are still many eligible and unencumbeed young men in this district who have not yet proved their manhood by responding to the call of the Empire in her hour of need. And it is a remarkable fact that the contingent which left Feildmg to-day for the training camp arc actually going to join those who have already reached the firing line to fight for the shirkers who are hiding their heads out thero i.s the back country on farms that by this time would not have been theirs or their fathers had all men decided, like them, to let Germany run over Britain as well as Belgium aud France. Had there been no battleship Australia in the Pacific Ocean, with young Australians manning her guns, the German Pacific I fleet would have taken possession of I New Zealand long ago—and who could have stayed their hand a.s conquerors? Who could havo saved our women r 1 Who could have saved our farms and

our flocks and our wool and our dairy produce ? Where would have been tho wealth to-day enjoyed by these shirkers and their parents em Foileling farms if Kaiser Wniielm's mon had ravagoel our lauel Wo havo a strong fooling of .shame, that there shonlit bo such men in our midst - men who aro .such slaves to their own sollishness and well-being Unit they seem to boliervo that even if Germany conquoral us I hey (the shirkers) would be just as well oil as ever I Of course, it is all a eircam. that the Herman has ravaged Belgium and confiscated overy bit of lanel and food and money found in the possession of the tortured Belgians. These shirkers try hard to believe that all is still well with the Belgians ami thai there is really no war iv progress at all. That it is all a creation of tho newspapers. Even tho Socialists have dropped that silly soothing-syrup nonsense. Not a lew Bed Feds have dropped their anti-militarist theories and have gone to tho war. They prize their liberty more than tiheiir .xociaßst theories. But what of these fanner shirkers — these sons whom well-to-do farmers will not allow to fare forth tei the liring lino because I hey fear their heirs will not eoino back to them to inherit their pt'lf? Ignoble men—ignublo motives. Wo are; just in receipt of a letter from the front from a farm hand I'roin the Feilding district who writes that ho feels happy and thankful that his patriotism prompted him to join the forces. Yet for months after the war had been raging that young Feildingite was an ardent anti-militarist, ami in theory he is still, but he found that a real war was ou, that his country was at death-grips with a great enemy, anel he was impelled by a sense of duty to go inlei camp. He found the course, of training anil camp life repugnant-, ye-t be stuck lo if. Ho went out with one of our later contingents, and now 'writes from Egypt that he realises how much every man is needed, ho is glad he has borne the months of trial and preparation, and hopes that ho will be able to do his "little bit" towards putting down the great enemy of mankind. He is even prcpare'el for the greatest sacrifice, but adds that he feels sure it will not have been in vain, because he felt that he hael done his duty in leaving the farm, and going to tho war. What about it, you real shirkers--you young men whei inherit a bit of rich earth that you are leaving other men to defend, whilst you aro even too shamed to show your faces at the salevards?