ARMY'S NEED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23401, 18 July 1939, Page 12

ARMY'S NEED

CIVILIAN SUITOKT RECOGNISING SERVICE LONG YEARS OF APATHY All that the Army "Recruiting Committee is asking from the civic authorities and the community at large for the expansion and maintenance of the Territorial Army is an active interest in the, men who assume the high service of training for the defence of the . Dominion. It undertakes to find the necessary number of recruits and to that end the Auckland recruiting officer, Captain C. A. Pilcher, is making the necessary contacts with sporting , and other organisations. The methods lie explained to the conference of local body representatives last Wednesday, but he placed most emphasis upon the importance of civilian support for local territorial units. Upon this question a group of exsoldiers of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force who have been aiding the effort to build up the force on the voluntary system, although they have certain doubts about the fairness of the voluntary principle, make the following observations: — Old Habit Dies Hard For centuries it has been the British habit to reduce its naval and military forces after a war. "That's over; let us forget it and enjoy the peace"— that old attitude is partly responsible for the fact that so soon after the very grave crisis of 1914-18 there was such wholesale disarmament. The belief in mutual security, the power of peace pacts and the League of Nations and in tlio commonsense of all civilised peoples was another reason. And perhaps there was something in the contention of Kipling that the reason why I there was so wide a wave of the j pacifism which smashed prudence to ' atoms was that there were so many men who had uneasy consciences be- ! cause they did not render personal I service in the war. I New Zealand abolished universal j military training and the community i as a whole lost every vestige of interest in til" lew who kept the territorial flag flying. Only a few short years before it had placed the soldier on a pedestal and had enjoyed the reflected honour won by him. Even Open Sneers Worse than that, an unwholesome bitterness that crept into the hearts of some fanatical expounders of superficial philosophies led to open sneering at young men who wore the King's uniform and endeavoured to prepare themselves against a possible, day of grim disillusionment for the imprudent idealists. The day of. disillusionment has come. The wave of pacifism has expended its strength on the rocky reef of unanswerable facts—the facts of military aggression that may wreck civilisation. Here in New Zealand it remains for the people—tlie whole people—to gird themselves for what may be a struggle to the death for freedom and the future of the race. For too long the country's sword arm has been paralysed by pressure on a vital nerve. There must be greater military preparedness, and. by the civilian population which cannot fight for itself, a new attitude of mind toward the men who in the Territorial Army are fitting themselves to give instant battle to an invading foe. Civilian Soldier's Urge The civilian soldier when he goes to war is not in the habit of analysing his impulses, particularly the British soldier, who is undemonstrative about the deep-down things, represses emotion and is not too introspective. But behind his response to the call of duty is the purpose to protect his own kith and kin and their homes, maintain the freedom of his own land and preserve the race. In the back of the mind of the territorial soldier there are these same urges in the same order. Hence his service demands the gratitude of the family, the community, and the nation. He does not want this gratitude expressed in words, but if he does not receive a reasonable measure of recognition from the community he cannot be blamed if declining keenness ends with hint handing in his uniform and joining the throng of idlers and fun-seekers. Small Communities and Large It is a fact beyond all dispute that small communities take a far greater personal interest in their soldiers than do large ones, in the cities no doubt there are many men and women ready to do all for'the territorials that is implied by the word recognition. But units are not sufficiently localised to facilitate the discharge of the duty they wish to perform. It is much more easy of performance in a small country town or in a suburb from which the men of a single unit are drawn. It is necessary in the cities therefore for the good intentions of the civic representatives, in the matter of giving due recognition to the territorials drawn from a wide, populous area, to be followed by close constructive thought as to how they are to be given concrete expression. • Among the initial steps there should be, formal visits by the Mayor and councillors and of local authorities functioning within the municipality to units on parade in drill halls and forts. Having thus formally met the men who are discharging the first duty of a citizen, the people s representatives should work out definite plans for rendering the vital service of supporting the armed forces. Much lies in the general social field. Money hardly enters into the matter; the cost is only time. The driving force is the will to express gratitude to and respect for the young men to whom belongs the high dignity inherent in voluntary military service. GARRISON ARTILLERY PROPOSED DEFENCE UNIT A suggestion that steps he taken to form themselves into a • self-contained national defence unit was warmly received at a meeting of former members of the Auckland division of the New Zealand Garrison Artillery last night, called to discuss arrangements for a reunion. Lieutenant T. Hill presided over an attendance of about 100. The meeting decided to hold a reunion on the evening of August 10, when the proposal for a defence unit will bo further discussed. It was also decided to hold gatherings annually on the Saturday nearest to August 4, the anniversary of mobilisation for service in the Great War. A talk on the early activities of the division was given bv Major F. Pullen. He said that when lie-joined about 40 years ago, lieutenants was the present Mayor of Auok'aud, Sir Ernest Davis. -j...