ARM BADGES

North Otago Times, Volume CIV, Issue 13656, 26 August 1916, Page 4

ARM BADGES

MKW RKfI'ULATIONS. OBLIGATIONS AND' RESTRICTIONS (Ily Telegraph.) Tin;. I'liaiimaii of the 'Recruiting Board Ims telegraphed the following statement relative to flic wearing of arm badges:— As proviouflly indicated, .it has* now beon decided to make new regulations, under the War Regulations . Act, 1914, with respect to tho issue and wearing of arm badges. This decision is largely tho. outcome of representations that have been made by returned discharged soldiers themselves, who have complained of unauthorised persons wearing badges which, though not official, are indicative to the public mind of honourable service, and discharge badges of various sorts have been adopted and worn on the arm in place of the distinctive official khaki and red badges by the men entitled to wear them, and it is this practice which has enabled the abuse to creep in. There is only one effective method of' preventing the improper use of war badges, and that is by absolutely preventing any person, whether a volunteer who is waiting to be called up, or lias not been accepted for service, or a returned discharged soldier, from wearing on the arm any badge other than the official badge issued by the Defence authorities, as a token of willingness to serve or of honourable service in the great war. This is to be done by the amended War Regulations, and the new rule is to take effect from Monday, the 4th September. Thereafter, and until the end of the war, it will be an offence for any man to wear any badge on the arm other than tho approved badge or a badge indicative of military, naval, or official rank, or a badge indicative of mourning. The principal provision's of the proposed regulations will bo found in para- '. graphs 8 and 9, which'will read:— (8) No man, whether a badge has been so duly issued to him or not, shall v#iar upon his arm any badge of any description whatever other than (a) An. approved badge lawfully issued to him under these regulations or under • the War Rcgulatiowi of the 29th day''of March, 19.16, relative to the offi- • cers and crews of transports; or (h) A badge indicative of : " • military, naval, or official rank; or (c) A badge indicative of mourning. (9) Mo man to whom an approved • badge lias been issued under these regulations shall wear that badge, whether on his arm or otherwise, in any muti- ■ . lated or substantially altered form. ' In order to guard against im authorised persons wearing an approved arm badge, it is proposed to make full use of tho power conferred by tho regulations to challenge any man wearing an arm . badge to produce his card of authorv ity to 'wear it. This card is to be produced at the request of any military : officer, constable, or noncommissioned officer of an Expeditionary Force or of the Permanent Staff. All men, therefore, to whom official arm badges have been duly is- ; sued are warned that they must, on • and after Monday, the 4th September, wear' only the official arm badge, and not any mutilated or altered form of it, and that at all times while wearing this official badge they must have the card of authority to wear in their personal possession. In order to meet an objection that has been raised to the appearance of the arm badge after it has ken worn for some time, it has been decided to fix a period as the fair wearable life of a badge, and to renew the issue at tho expiration of that period. Such renewal will be made free of cost, but will be subject to the return of the worn-out badge. The new regulation will not in any way interfere with the wearing ,on the coat lapel of the silver device which has been adopted by the Returned Soldiers' Association, or of any other badge or token, The prohibition applies to the wearing on the arm of a badge of any description other than the official badge. W. F. MABSEY, Wellington, Chain/lan, August 2G, 1910.