WHY ARE THEY NOT MEMBERS OF THE DEFENCE FORCE?

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 144710, 19 June 1915, Page 2

WHY ARE THEY NOT MEMBERS OF THE DEFENCE FORCE?

(To the Editor.)

Sir, —Can you explain why many of the young fellows of between the age of 20 to 30 years arc not members of our Citizens’ Defence Force? There, aro many who have no ties whatever, single young men in some eases whose chiefs are members or officers, but they themselves are not manly enough, to join. There are clerks who,, instead of putting in one night a week at the drill hall and making themselves better, fitted for outdoor work and for use'here if the enemy came, spend three orifour nights a week at the pictures, and not without often paying for their betterhalf too. I think the least thing some of these clerks should do is to join our Citizens’ Defence Force, if they have not felt tho call to go to the front, I think it ought to bo made compulsory that all young able-bodied men should be compelled to join this force. Ido not believe in going to the extremes, as “Craven” and a few others have gone to in airing their views about’.going to the front, a-s I believe these views are made in pure selfish motives, but there ought’to be a rounding’up,of a lot of our clerks, who spend most of their time indoors, and compel.'them to at le,ast become i .embers of our Citizens’ Defence, Force. Their managers, bosses, and seniors should put tho question to each one of their staff who is not a member and ask him why ho is not one. It is extraordinary that we should have to resort to men of mature age to fill the ranks of our defence force when, as I have said before, there are so many young fellows too lazy to join hut can. find ample time to take the girl, out.Ail defence members should be given preference to billets, and those who hold appointments should be given a reasonable chance to join our Homo Defence Force, failing which, allow our worthy young members of the force of equal ability to gradually succeed them, as they have not proven themselves worthy citizens. These arc the things that show what a man is made of.—l am, etc.,

CITIZEN,