SATURDAY, AUGUST 25, 1917. THE SPECIAL TRAINING CAMPS.

Grey River Argus, 25 August 1917, Page 2

SAT URDAY, AUGUST 25, 1917. THE SPECIAL TRAINING CAMPS.

THE calling into a special camp of some- of (the First Division Reservists who wore rejected by the- Military Medical Boards seems to have occasion cd 1 some surprise among men who were classed as fit for home service only (02) or who might be made fit for 6ervice abroad by training (Cl). The Government announcement / that only in On whose papers show that they are not' suffering from vital defects are liable to be called into camp should clear away uncertainty to some extent, and Reservists who have been previously rejected are able to form some idej of how they stand. For instance a Reservist who when examined was recovering from a recent operation for appendicitis would at the time he appeared before the Medical Board probably be unfit fo some weeks to. go into camp, but now after several months, Nature has completely healed the wound and the man if examined will come under class A.— perfectly fit. That man in fairness to other -Reservists should be called into camp. On the other hand, the. Reservist who at the time of examination was- found to be suffering from heart trouble as the result of ,say, rheumatic fever, is probno better or no worse. His condition ably no better or no worse. His conditi on may be such that he will never be able to stand the hard training necessaay for service. He may,, quite safely conclude that he will not be sent into camp. All men who have, been called in the ballot should. remember that they are, under the Military.. Service Act, soldiers and. are subject to military commands. Their passes— more commonly regarded as certificates of unfitness — are ' plainly marked as follows :— "New Zealand Military. Forces. . Pass (for leave. r of absence). The Bearer, No *of the Corps, has permission to be absent from camp (or parade) from ...o'clock until | further orders." The pass is signed i

by- a recognised officer or tnc ivew Zealand Defence Department and clearly indicates that the holder is a soldier and not a civilian. Every Be-. servist who holds such a pass should bear that fact in mind, and should,- if he has reason to believe that he will be called upon, to go into camp, hold himself in readiness, so as to comply with the Act. We do not think that a very great percentage. of the men rejected by the Medical Boards will prove Jit for service as the doctors' examinations ,ac very thorough but if the special taining produces two drafts of reinforcements, it will be justified and will show that the First Division has done its best, before, the Second Division men arc called up. Some employers will no doubt grumble if their employees, previously rejected, are now taken to camp, but important though employers may consider their various businesses to be they should remember that in the gigantic task of beating the Huns their importance is infinitesimal. What would it matter if half the businesses in New Zealand were ruined so lang as Germany beaten and the Empire saved tWe do not Hove that half the people of the Aus-' traiasian colonies have any real idea of the tremendous importance of the issue of the war. They have no doubt read the 'speeches of the grerft leaders — Mr. Lloyd George, Mf. Asquith, Lord Robert Cecil; and President Wilson — but their knowledge of the position has failed to be more tha\i superficial. Probably our groat distance from the terrible scenes of Hun brutality is the cause for the failure of many to obtain a true view of the Huns and their ways. Let any person who regards his business, his social standing, or his own life as of more importance than the sending of full ■drafts of reinforcements think for a moment of the German deportations in Belgium, of tho frightfulncss of the air raids on Britain, of that East End school which was demolished by an enemy bomb, killing many innocent little children. Can he then honestly, think that he has reason to protest because his businpss will be injured by the drawing up of his employees ? Or can he excuse his personal sorvico by sheltering behind his friends ? Or can he, say, "I, am; in a position of such importance that I must be permitted to continue my work rather than go to the front ?" There is at the present time one, and only, one, thing that matters, and that is to stamp out the system, and its descrip: loS; which permits., a' highly-educated nation to torture and kill women and frhildrcn by methods that would shame many of th,o most cannibalistic races. It is no use anybody saying that the horrors nf Belgium were but the acts of individual German soldiers acting un-, der the influence of liquor. There is abundant proof that the terrors have been carried out at the express command of the German War Lords. The submarine outrages, the bombing of open towns, the deportations, the At- , monian masacres, the, reign of savagery in Serbia — all were carried out vi% ( der 'the full knowledge of the German^ Ivaisor and the General Staff. They, could have stODDed the outrages had they desired, but they ordered them. Vhe Austrian Army on entering Ser 1 bio was ordered to make a clean .sweep and we believe that the Serbian nation no longer exists. Let us> make no mistake the Hun,, were h,e successful,

•vould spare nobody in New; Zealand ot. .Ny other part of the British Empire. • f the sl'ghtest oposition were shown. Life couuts for nothing with -him and important businesses for less. We think we have said sufficient to disarm the severest critic of the Government and its action in calling up men who may by special training be fitted to take their places at. the front. We know that there is sacrifice to be made by "employers and employees, but, when nil is said, what of that ? Have not thousands of men with great prospects, great businesses, and important positions made the supreme sacriiiec ? What, then, shall we say of those who refuse to follow them, offering this or that excuse 'i We say here that .whatever tho individual sacrifice the immense importance of gaining the victory far outweighs all excuses. The time still calls for action, and everybody should see t6 it that no stumbling block is placed in the way of securing that victory which will rid the Vorld for all time of the most terrible curse that ever fell upon it. .

Speaking in Parliament yesterday, the Minister of Defence stated that both parts of the 2Sth Reinforcements .had reached a port of call. — Press Association.

At the next meeting of the Greymouth Hospital and Charitable Aid Board Mr. Noel Peat, representing the residents of the Moana district, will attend as a deputation to urge -that a hospital and midwifery nurse be appointed for the Moana district, where a nurse's services would be invaluable.

The Treasurer of the Soldiers' Tobacco Fund (Mr. J. McLean) desires to acknowledge the receipt with thanks of. the sum of £-2 from the Elackwater mines, per Mr. . E. R. Morrison. . .."..'■

A Press Association messagre from Wellington states that the Legisli-: tive Council yeterday passed the second rcadinff of the Juries Act Amendment Bill by n votes to 2. The committee staffe will be taken next week.

Messrs J. W. Greenslade and Co., Mackay Street, Greymxmth, give final notice in this issue fo those owing ac^ counts to the firm, which must be paid on or before Saturday,. September- Ist, otherwise steps will be taken txx collect same. . *

•Still going strong as mens outfitters for the last 50 years, high quality and low prices, pyjamas 6/6, U/6;- and 11/6. spring blurts 5/6, 6/6, 8/6,. Mens oocks 1/-, 1/6, 2/-. Spunk Ties 1/-, 1/6 1/11, and 2/6. Mehs Uunedshirts 4/6 o/G, 7/6,. McKay and Son. Leading drapers. Founded in 1867.

The Sailors' Rest which has been undei-Roinjr repairs and which has been closed for $ome weeks will reopen on Monday eveninff. The bal-ance-sheet" will be read, the Mayor i» expected to be present, and an: enjoyable eveninff of music is promised Seamen in port are asked,. to attend. The usual fortniffhtly dance of the/ Battalion Band which was due to be held on Monday the 27th inst. has beeu postponed till the 10th of next I month, the reason beinj? that the St. John's. Ambulance^ Association has ~arran.ered.to hold a hard-up dance on. Tuesday next. The Battalion Band's dance committee had no hesitation iri iriving up its date in such a good cause. . - ■

Spring is coming, and every good housewife is clening up the happy home. Naturally, many articles 19111 require to be replaced by new and up-to-date Curtains, Curtain-nets, Curtain Poles, etc. The- one place in Grey-r mouth you are sure to get satisfaction at is C. Smith's, Ltd., the. Wholesale. Drapers, Clothiers, Boot. lmporters and' House Furnishers. Postage : paid on all articles exceptf furnishings^—Advi

Another of those unfortunate accidents Avhich have been frequent of late occurred on the Otira line ■•'•s on Thursday -afternoon, when a man named Whitton was struck on the head by a piece of timber; He proceeded to walk to Moana alone, and on the way became- unconscious, and must ha ye lain alongside this railway line for some time. Later he was discovered by Mr. Noel Peat in a semi-con-scious, condition. First aid was rendered aVd'the sufferer was carried ; 'to the hotel where he and Mr. Penhalluriack attended to him. Whitton^ who continued in a semi-eonseibuß condition throughout yesterday, WM'. brought down to tho Greymonth Hoiji: pital by the ;Otira train last evening-.. If your passion is loyal and lawful;;. You'll find it ho jest if "a girl gives you - best, - : ' ; "... ,.;'■ The pangs of lorn love are moat iw-V i 'ful. ■ ■. •■ :.; • , ■•;■'■ ■■'->^. : ;; Incurable woe — I now have it aucLv know; •' ; ;' And tho. pain I can searcery'endu7^--V I'd prefer a bad cold, for its-t rue" I 'nt? told ..■.',■ :;vAbout Woods' Great Peppermint ; Cure. * ■/ .