PHYSICAL UNFITNESS.

Colonist, Volume LI, Issue 12469, 20 February 1909, Page 3

PHYSICAL UNFITNESS.

(Pei United Press Association.) J wSSngton, Feb. 19. r .) The Volunteer system of New Zea- j land has for some time., past been sub- t ject to a deal of criticism generally \ from the man who knows nothing E about it. The expert, of course, takes } no notice of armchair criticisms, : but I he at times mentions * matters that f have a distinct bearing on the subject' v and are more damaging than the irfi- f tating remarks of those who know c nothing. In conversation with a mcdi- \ cal man yesterday, a reporter was i made to believe that although " the i c Volunteer Force is. at fair strength in c proportion to ' the' able-bodied male l population, and although it was Very * efficient from the point of view, of cere- ° monial demonstration, ".only about * two-tb.ir.ds in the opinion of the mcdi- i cal man, were physically fit. As an ex- * army man, the physician' alleges that f it was ridiculous ;to train men who had not been medically examined, and f who would on any severe occasion j "crack up'^ (to use his own words). t ''There is no occupation which requires so' great a physical-s train as that of 6 soldiering during war time. The only £ possible excuse for the enlistment of I Volunteers is that they will be called i upon to defend their country by force j of arms." Only the fit Survive during c an arduous campaign. In my opinion, a at least two-thirds of-J>he Volunteers i of Wellington would not be able to i face the stress of a hard-fought cam- i Lpaign. Tiie idea that », man lias only I to face the bullets, the shells and the c bayonets of an enomy'is, ofcoufsei « idiotic. What he has to fear more 1 than these .is the :-.: onslaught^ of dis- t ease.. No > Volunteer in New Zealand j is expected to undergo a medical, examination, but a soldier is forced ( to undergo such examination, arid ' in my experience; ; all physically' i weak applicants ' are invariably I rejected. : ; If a ■ supreme commander having medical knowledge were by ■ any chance to be Commandant of the J Forces in New Zealand, he would insist that only the fit should carry , arms. My point is that the physic-. ', ally unfit in- time of war are not only, a danger, but an/ absolute nuisance. My further point is that in the first . place a sick man is no use as a fight- \ ing machine, and. next that when he , is dead, he is simply clay that must ( be buried, and therefore reduces the effijient strength of an army. II would ( insist, were I able, that every man. ( who is enlisted into tho Vplunteer i army of New Zealand should be as 1 'rigorously examined as is the; appli- i cant for admission into any European- _i army. At present we are admitting < a large number of men who would' be '1 wipod out as ineflScient in a fortnight,* i and it is not right to the country." ) —^ — — — j •■■■..■ ■ ■ - - i