The Gisborne Herald. IN WHICH IS INCORPORATED “THE TIMES.” GISBORNE, TUESDAY, APRIL 29, 1947. “NOT AS TOUGH AS WE WERE”

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22316, 29 April 1947, Page 4

The Gisborne Herald. IN WHICH IS INCORPORATED “THE TIMES.” GISBORNE, TUESDAY, APRIL 29, 1947. “NOT AS TOUGH AS WE WERE”

first thought the Governor-General, Sir Bernard Freyberg, would appear to have drawn heavily upon his vast resources of personal courage when, in the course of m address to schoolboys in Auckland, he stated: “Physically we arc not as tough as we were, and through motor cars, buses, movie-picture shows and comfort generally we are not breeding the type that made a name for this country in the past.” Particularly contentious was his addendum: “Looking back on two wars, I can say that the men of the second world war were not as hard as those of the first, and before they could be used they had to be toughened up.” This latter remark has been the subject of comment in Australia. Sir Stanton Hicks, professor of physiology at Adelaide University and Director of Army Catering, finds that Australians are not as tough of those of earlier generations. On the other hand, General Sir Thomas Blarney, a two-war officer who no doubt retains vivid memories of the A.l.F’s more recent feats of endurance in both the Middle East and the grim jungles of New Guinea, contradicts General Freyberg’s comparison. It is possible, however, that the Governor-General’s remarks have been misconstrued or not cabled to Australia in their full text. It is important to note that he has at no time compared the actual fighting and general campaigning qualities of the two expeditionary forces —once they were in the firing line. Indeed, he himself has frequently given unstinted praise to the men under his command in the recent war and has stated that they were every whit as good as their predecessors. His emphasis is on the opinion that, in the second world war, men had to undergo more training “to toughen them up” than had the men of the First N.Z.E.F. This was due not to any shortcomings in their warrior fibre and initiative but to the easier civilian life they had lived prior to enlistment. Obviously he intended his statement to be a warning against the temptation to allow modern amenities to soften the race. An example of how quickly New Zealanders could be sent into the front line in 1914-18 can be gleaned from the fact that at least two squadrons of Mounted Rifles, . which, incidentally, included many men from the Gisborne-Opotiki-East Coast area, found themselves fighting with distinction as infantry on Gallipoli after having entered Trentham Camp as raw recruits only about four months previously. It is probable that their counterparts from ruial districts could have met similar demands equally well in the recent war, but it is the opinion of General Freyberg that New Zealanders as a whole, incorporating those from the cities and big towns, now need longer training to eradicate the effects of the softer civilian living conditions. _ If there is to be a remedy it is largely up to the individual, encouraged and supported by interested bodies such as the Council of Sport and various team game organisations. It has been said that the footballers of to-day do not train so hard and efficiently as old-timers of the type who first made the All Black jersey famous. There are plenty of holiday tramping clubs, but the practice of brisk, everyday walking is being dropped in favour of the easy journey by motor vehicle. That is the sort of thing the Governor-General is hitting at. He even makes his theme apply to rural areas—“ Whereas in former days farmers worked with their horses ploughing the fields, now they go around in a car and plough with mechanical vehicles. That is softening the physical fibre of the race.” It is manifestly impossible to go back to the older and more laborious ways of getting things done. But what, seems needed, in the eyes of others besides Sir Bernard, is the cultivation of some safeguard for physical fibre—and for moral fibre too —which will take the place of the tougher living conditions of the past.