ENROLMENT OF MARRIED MEN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24632, 13 June 1941, Page 7

ENROLMENT OF MARRIED MEN

ro THE EDITOR Sir, —We have been told that before the end of this year married men up to 46 years of age (irrespective of the number of children they have) are to be conscripted for overseas service. If It were' not for the fact that we are at war I would have regarded this as a joke ol some sort. Does the Government really mean to say It is going to send married men overseas to fight and to save soft jobs for single men who are conscientious objectors, or have successfully appealed on other grounds against fighting for their country? I think many married men will resent having to go and fight for this class of man. I for one resent it very much, for I come under the above heading as I am not yet 45 years of age, and served just on four year? in the last war, on both the Egyptian and Western European frontiers, having volunteered in 1915 at the age of 19 and celebrated my twentieth birthday in the front line trenches at Armentiers. My eldest son left New Zealand with the 2nd Echelon, one Is in the Mounted Rifles (18) and one in the Home Guard (17). I would willingly go overseas once more to fight and if need be to die fighting for my country, but not while the above-named class are sitting back here in comfort and soft jobs. It has been shown in letters to your paper that some of the excuses put forward at Appeal Board sittings are trivial and ridiculous and do not deserve the slightest consideration. In fact, I don t know how some of these men can have the nerve to appeal. Or to allow anyone else to appeal for them.—l am, etc., Port Chalmers, June 10. Nuff Sea.

[The statement made by the Acting Minister of National Service on June 4 was that it was unlikely that any married men would be called up for service before the end of this year. Men up to the age of 46 would be required to register, irrespective of the number of their cniidren. When asked if the ages of married men required for service overseas would be the same as for single men, Mr Wilson said that the ages of all men for the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force would be restricted to the limit of 21 to 40 years. That would apply to both married and single men. —Ed., O.D.T.j