A SOLDIER'S SUICIDE

NZ Truth, Issue 578, 15 July 1916, Page 5

A SOLDIER'S SUICIDE

THE LATEST AfPASR AT FEATHERSTON

HOW THE SOLDIERS ARE BEING PENALISED

Complaints from Camj) Concerning Concessions and "C.B"

A Matter for the Minister of Defence

Private J. Smith, Infantry Details, formerly of E Company, 15th i Reinforcements, committed suicide at Featherston camp on Thursday morning by cutting his throat with a razor just before the 15tha left on their march over the hill to Trentham. He had given no warning of his intention. He was about 30 years of age, and came from the Auckland district. The above paragraph found its way into an obscure corner of Wellington's only evening paper on Monday night last, four days after the tragedy to which it refers was enacted at Featherston camp. It gives but the bare bones I of the story and readers are left to conjure up m their own minds the incidents or worries likely to cause a- man to take his own life under such circumstances. Somo peoplo Imagine that men give way to the TEMPTATION TO SEILFDESTRUCTION only under great mental strain caused by some severe trial, the outcome of financial worries, physical suffering or family misfortunes of ono kind or another. An exhaustive study of suicides and their causes has placed It absolutely beyond dispute that the great majority of suicides have been occasioned by the mind dwelling unduly on very small worries until it has become obsessed by them. In the face of great calamities the average man rises to the occasion, and the very effort to pull himself together holds him safe till the worst is over. It la the timid man given to brooding over llttlo worries, who develops the suicidal tendency and, sooner or later, shuffles oft this mortal coll by his own deliberate act. This state of mind is designated by coroners generally as temporary insanity. It may be. but Us effect is the reverse of temporary. ' The verdict is more or leSB a meaningless one. Except In cases whores the victim was known to be mentally "unhinged," it should bo enough to declare that a. person who had suicided had "died by his own act." ■ The paragraph at the head of this column doea not suggest that Private J. Smith was Insane. It merely records the unfortunate fact that Private J. Smith suicided at Featherston camp

"BY CUTTING HIS THROAT."

Not one word further has been allowed to creep intd the press, and the authorities accra desirous of as llttlo Information as possible concerning; tho occurrence reached the public. Had this been itae only case of the kind perhaps there need not have been much objection to such suppression at the Instance of the Defenco Department But thJs is not the drat case of camp suicide, no, sorry-the-day, nor the second. Buch being the case, this paper is of opinion that tho present tragedy calls for special mention, If not for particular investigation. "Truth" understands that Private J. Smith was one of a number who overstayed their final leave, and had been . punished for such offence. He hnd gone to bid his loved ones rood-bye for tho last time before leaving for the front, perhaps to die,' but. at least, to fight, for his country. As tho men of previous relnforcemonls had takon excess leave without sorlous consequences, many of the 15th thought that they could do the same, and so long as they roturned fit and well everything wquld ho all right. It Is sold that laxity of discipline to former contingents led to the 16ths "breaking leave" to a groator extent, and so, In their case the utmost penalty was exacted. Offonders wore (1) Mulcted of all pay for the full tinio absent; (2) "C.8." (chasing the bugle four times on weak days and seven times on Sundays): (3) Forfeiture of conco&sion (being charged full faro for the ''pass" used to take them home and batik). Private J. Smith was one dt theso offenders, and received the full punishment. What he considered to bo tho Injustice and humiliation of the punishment upset him %'ory much. One of hU comrades, m a letter to "Truth," says that It wa« the tnjustico'of his punishment that caused him to commit suicide. This friond writes:

The true cause was that ha was punished three times for one offence — for staying a few days over his allowance on his final leave, bidding his dear ones Rood-bye, before going to light for hla country. I aaw him "chasing the bugle" at 6.15 this morning. There have been dozens of men punished In this ■way.

Surely there is no need for our military authorities to

ACT THE PART OF MARTINETS and punish men with the utmost rigor for ©uoh a- minor offence as "breaking leave." Private Smith seems to have boon a man of a very sensitive turn of mind and the disgrace of the punishment seerua to have "irot him down."

Another soldier who overplayed his final leav© threo days did ho because ho w;u» tuikod by hl« superior ofllcor to forego his throo days' Kanter holiday, which )»*• did on the understanding thut he would have three <layti added to hia final leave. When this canio round, ho took nto thrco days' dolo-yed liollday In addition to tho ordinary final leave. On hia return to camp ho waa reported an having "broken leave," and, deaptto his explanation, ho had tho triune penalty handed out to him, hh ho saya, "to chocr me up after returning front ft comfor* tablo homo." Thin writer oaks: What do you think of such treatment for men who are giving perhaps their lives? Thoro were many who overstayed their loavft and all got the extreme penalty. It seems unjust to these men. who. m many cniJCH. were ftoeinp their dear ones for the last time, to have to bear all

the expense of their last holiday out i of their scanty soldier's pay. It will be seen from the above extracts from letters that the men are feeling very sore over the whole thing. Even the officers are sorely perturbed and are afraid that, if the Defence Department persists m deducting the cost of the concession tickets from, the men's pays next pay day there will BE GREAT DISSATISFACTION IN CAMP. One officer, writing to "Truth," says: As a rule, this stoppage of concessions has not been enforced before, except In extreme cases. The I.4th Reinforcements had about sixty or seventy men per company return late — one had nlhety-flve, i .I'm told. They went before the Camp Commandant and got two and threo days' C.B. and* M somo cases, lost pay. Only a few of them lost their "concessions." The 15ths knew this and reckoned that the threat would missfire In their case also. They were late to a greater extent, some of my own companies being 130 short at first parade! Acting on instructions from headquarters, the delinquents got C.8., and had their pay docked and also their "concessions.*' If thfeso sums are to come out of their pay at once, it means that they'll draw nothing until after they loavo Now Zealand. Ido hope the authorities will forego the right to withdraw "concessions" so that the men may have something to draw. Wo ofllcors are looking for trouble If the full punishment is enforced.

Here is a hint to the Defence Department. Even the officers are anxious that the men should not have the utmost penalty appUod— and why should it? The utmost penalty is never applied. In tho first instance, even m our criminal courts, except m the case of an aggravated capital offence. It Is said that tho officers have been too lenient In the past. Probably they have, but that is no reason why these men should b©

.PUNISHED MORE SEVERELY than hundreds of others who had committed a liko offence These men. as they say m their letters, wero many of thorn visiting their loved ones for the last time m life, and they thought tho extra time with thoir friends was worth risking extra fatigue drill and other light punishments, but, surely, It is altogether over the odds to "rob" them of every penny they earn from now until they go forth to battle for the nag. "Troth" trusts that tho Hon. Mr. Allen will give Instructions that tho threat to annul the "concessions" given bo not carried out, and thus our bravo soldier laddies will havo kindly thoughts to wiirdß the New Zealand Defenco department In general, and tho Hon. Jame3 Allen and thoir officers m particular, when leaving "for tho war."