THE WHITE FEATHER.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 245, 19 November 1914, Page 8

THE WHITE FEATHER.

CALL TO ARMS UNHEEDED. WHAT ARE THE TERRITORIALS DOING? ' Are the young men of New Zealand becoming unpatriotic, untrue to the traditions of the British race? If that question were asked in a public meeting it probably would be greeted with a .storm ;of dissent, and the very suggestion conveyed in the question be characterised as vile. People would proudly point toward the Expeditionary Forces which this country has dispatched to the assistance,of the Empire, But when the position is carefully scrutinised it appears as if little more than lipservice can be obtained from the young men now in the Dominion, who are liable to Territorial training, and as U the Expeditionary Forces have taken away nearly all the patriotic young men.

It is exceedingly likely that New Zealand may need to send away another Expeditionary Force of eight or ten thousand men. But there is a strong probability, unless a spirit of genuine patriotism becomes more evident, that any .such new Expeditionary Force must be very largely composed of men older than those men who have left, the Dominion for Samoa and for a destination .unknown —that it must include many .of the men who have already risked their lives, in the service in the South African War of the earlier years of this century. The trouble as that a spirit of slackness, of disregard for the danger threatening the Empire, has spread among many of the young men who have been left in New Zealand now that the Expeditionary Forces have left these shores. Even if the trouble does not extend throughout New Zealand, it is clear that the young men of Christehurch, as a body, are not doing their duty to the nation. NEGLECTING THE BUGLE CALL;

When,the great European war broke out, and it was found that the British Empire was engaged in a .gigantic struggle for its very existence, it was anticipated that there would be greatly increased activity amongst the Territorial Forces, who form the Dominion's first line of defence. Even the organised anti-militarists, recognising the gravity ..of the position, ceased their work of propaganda, for they knew that .their own existence depended on Bratain and hei\allies emerging triumphant from this great struggle, the most momentous war in the world's history. But the Tejjritorials did not respond to the call as was expected. Certainly many of those who were not hindered /by family ties did eagerly volunteer, for service abroad. A great proportion, of the Expeditionary Forces, however, consisted of men who were not Territorials. '■■

What are the Territorials who have not yet been called upon to actively defend their country doing? Many of them—not all—are shirking. This is clearly shown by the attendance at their weekly parade. Noticing. that the number of young men who were trying in the last two or three weeks to fit themselves for a life-or-death struggle was unusually small, a Sun representative made some inquiries from Defence officials. The gravity of the position in Christ Church is best shown by the records of the Ist (Canterbury) Infantry Regiment. This is because the technical branches of the Territorial Forces, such as the artillery and the engineers, take many of the keenest and most intelligent men, and therefore their average of ability and enthusiasm is higher, and their parades are well attended, while the Mounted Infantry do most of their training in camps, and therefore the effect of the war on their 'parades cannot be ascertained, yet. Now, the Ist Infantry Regiment has a present strength of 900 men. Yet the average number of men parading, is only 300, or one-third of the total strength. Instead of improving since the war broke out, the regiment's parades .have declined. A hundred and fifty of the keenest men iu this regiment joined the Expeditionary Force, but their places were filled by new men, who, speaking generally, seem not to have heeded the example of the 150. The paucity of the attendance is not only preventing the regiment from attaining the efficiency-re-quired to enable it to take its proper place in the defence of New Zealand. It is also hindering the work of re-clothing the:' regiment. . AN UNPLEASANT REMEDY. Of course, some of the slackers might have their duty impressed upon them by a magistrate, for a number of them are to be taken before the Court for absence from parades. But it is to their discredit that such a step should have to be taken to make them realise -what they owe to their country, especially at such a time of national crisis. It would be much better for the regiment and its honour, and much more satisfactory to the country, if these young men did not have to be forced to drill. The lack of patriotism is all the more regrettable from the fact that his Majesty the King is the Colonel-in-Chief of the regiment. Possibly. some of the opponents of the territorial scheme may urge that the present position is an indication of the superiority of the old volunteer system over the scheme which is' in existence now. But those young men who are liable to territorial service and who will not willingly drill at such a time of stress as this are men who are most un-'i likely to serve under a purely volunteer system. The man who likes hanging about the street corners does not make a good volunteer. Perhaps these slackers may put forward the excuse that the fight is being waged on the fields of other countries, and that there is little danger of New Zealand being invaded. But who knows what will result from such a gigantic struggle as is now proceeding? If Great Britain is defeated, the Empire will be disrupted and will fall to the "cultured" German.

In striking contrast to the spirit of these young men —if men they are worth terming —is that which animates the older men of the community, who are fitting themselves for the defence of the country in case it becomes necessary to send the young men away to defend the Emden at the vital spot in the defence, the battle-fields of Europe. Can the young men rest under the imputation that while the fathers and grandfathers of the city are drilling they themselves are shirking? In the Old Country the young men who have failed to respond to the call to arms have been branded with the white feather by the young women. Here is a hint for the young women of Christchurch to present white feathers to those young men who are liable to territorial service but who pay no heed to their duty.