Rangitikei Advocate. TWO EDITIONS DAILY. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1916. THE RECRUITING PROPOSALS.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLI, Issue 11502, 17 February 1916, Page 4

Rangitikei Advocate. TWO EDITIONS DAILY. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1916. THE RECRUITING PROPOSALS.

WE observe from a pernaal of our exchanges that the new Government proposal for recruiting is having anything brit a unanimously cordial reception from the local bodies of the country. One has refused to have anything to do with it on the ground that inaction will sooner or later compel the adoption of conscription. Some others, while expressing their conviction that conscription is the only satisfactory and efficient method of securing men for service; have agreed to support the Government scheme in the forlorn

hope that it may be permanently successful, as well as in a desire to maintain unanimity in the scheme of the moment. This latter Ve believe to be the most patriotic course to follow. Absolutely convinced, a? wa are, that compulsory service is tne only fair and logical method of raising troops, and that the Government is merely paltering with a great occasion, we still think that its idea* should be given a fair trial. We believe it will break down, and we may even confess that we hope it will break down, so that we may secure, probably for the whole of our. coming history, a reasonable, efficient and mobile defence scheme'. But we must still remember that the Government is responsible for raising the quotas required, that patriotism does not consist in sulking because we cannot have our own way, and in throwing obstacles in the way of the authorities, but often in doing what we do not want to do and out of a sense of duty. We do not suppose, for instance, that'the men who are volunteering in their thousands tor the 1 war are doing so because they delight in hardship,in strenuous service ind in imminent danger of of death. They do it in obedience to a desire to discharge a sacred duty to the nation, and the adoption of a similar spirit may be recommended to those who are absolutely refusing to aid the new recruiting scheme. Still, while the conscriptionists take up the unwelcome task, and do the best they can for its success, it might not he amiss to pray that Mr Massey, Sir J. Ward and Mr Allen may lie more plentifully endowed with backbone—-with the moral courage necessay to grapple with the situation as it should he grappled with. We notice that every now and again both Mr Massey and Mr Allen issue warnings that unless volunteers come forward in the requisite numbers they will introduce conscription, thus apparently flourishing the big stick over the young men of the country. But there are many thousands of the most suitable men, for war in the country upcu whom threats and appeals have no influence whatever, while the men who are coming forward need neither menaces nor prayers to bring them in. What must puzzle most people, however, about these platform menaces is that if the Government considers itself strong enough to enforce compulsion why 4 it does not simplify the whole position by establishing it now, save the money spent on recruiting, render unnecessary the vast organisation of appeal now suggested, and take the men the nation and . the Empire needs. The most reas enable explanation of the situation, however, is that the Government is afraid to move in that direction lest it should he committing political hari-kari. There is a large turbulent and noisy section of the population in the big towns which always has terrors for Governments, and it is too much to hope that they will ever emancipate themselves from those terrors. We read Ministerial threats, there* fore, as simply implying that if voluntary recruiting fall off, and the Government feel itself in the position of a cornered rat between the need of men and the callousness of the proper material, it will exercise the courage of despair and do its duty. Till that time comes, however, we shall have to do our best tor feeble knees and spineless hacks.' We should he sorry, therefore, to see the local bodies in this district refuse to give the scheme an opportunity of proving itself. The position simply is that, while we hold views opposed to those of the authorities, we are at war, and we have to exercise to a certain extent the same subordination of judgment as the soldier in the field. He may be thoroughly convinced that his commander’s strategy is at fault but he does not refuse to carry out his orders. It is necessary that there should be a greater.! n filtration of the same spirit into the operations of non-combatants in the service of war than at present.