MILITARY AGE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12084, 13 August 1917, Page 4

MILITARY AGE.

THE PROPOSED LOWERING

GOVERNMENT EXPECTED TO GITO WAY.

[Feom Ouk Correspondent.] WELLINGTON. August 12

Many members who knew of Cabinet's intention to call up men of nineteen under the Military Service Act are disposed to believe that Ministers will now recede from that nosition owing to the public outcry. The Government could, of course, say that the reports were unofficial guesswork, though this would not carry conviction in the lobbies.

80 far Cabinet has not. reconsidered the'question, lyat if it persists in the, policy of lowering the military age it will 'almost certainly decide that- the Second Division should be drawn upon simultaneously with vo/.iths.

NEWSPAPER VIEWS

PROPOSAL STRONGLY CONDEMNED.

The "Otago Daily Times,'' in the course of a leading article in -its taaturuuy's issue, says: Jf, as seems to bo generally anticipated, a proposal is actually brought down by the Government to reduce the limit of the. military age for active service abroad from twenty to nineteen years it will merit the strong opposition which will be otferod to it, ihe suggestion that immature lads should be *ent eorr.pulsoriiv to foreign countries to light the battles of tiie nation is open to obvious objections. Ihese, however, would have to be over-ruled if the Dominion had been to denuded of her efficient resources in man-power that it had become absolutely necessary to draft boys, from school, into her Expeditionary Force. It she had reached such a srtago of exhaustion that she had no longer any men left of the ages that.provide the most useful soldiers, we sliould simply have to submit to the inevitable and fall back upon our growing youths to maintain our armed forces at the requisite strength until the war has been brought to a triumphant conclusion. There is, however, no need for the Dominion to proclaim that she ha.-> become so bankrupt in man-power as to necessitate her making a demand on the services of raw striplings to enable her to maintain a flow of reinforcements. . . If the Government really proposes to seek power to seud youths of nineteen on active service, it will not _ find it easy to meet the 'taunt, which will assuredly be, hurled at it, that it :.s grasping at an expedient whereby it mav avoid the expenditure that will he entailed hy the mobilisation of married men. , Another Dunedtn journal, the "Star" states:—We. have no _wish to see the New Zealand Oversea Force maintained at, what Ihe Zealand Government, through the Defence Minister, call its promised strength at the, expense of the youths of the Dominion. We can only describe the proposal to reduce the minimum age of enlistment from twenty to nineteen years aa a most improper one, and one, we trust, that will be protested against, in the most emphatic manner from ?m» end of the Dominion to the other. We are in thorough agreement with the executive of the National AVclfare Association in this j elation. Why rre Ne'v Zealand lads to be called out in this manner? Is it that the Government are frightened to call upon the men of the Second Division? And, if so, whv are they frightened? Is rt hecause they are, afraid to fac t ; the financial burden? If so, we suggest that the sooner they do face it the better will it be both for the country and for those most vitally concerned. W<> very much mistake the temper of Iho cnnimunitv if its members are prepared to tolerate the sending away ol immature bovs rather than oi ; willing men, whoso only request--with v.lnch we cordially agree—is that adequate provision fie first made for their wives and children in case the breadwinner should be taken from them. The "Dominion" (Wellington) also condemns the lowering of trie military ag*. - It f.ijk :—-There appears to be 'a proposal afoot to redu<v. the minimum age at which admission is made to -the"ranks of the New Zealand Forces. At the present time tin minimum age is twenty, and tho suggestion is being put forward that it should be reduced to nineteen. If any proposal of this nature is brought forward it- will be strenuouslv opposed. The fact that a lower age than twenty is adopted in England is no reason whv we shoold expect hoys to go out and fight for us when we. still have men in plenty to do 'the fighting. It h sought to popularise tho idea by making it appear that if the boys aie sent the men of the Second Division will secure a longer rewrite. W" do not think the men of "the Second Division will be flattered by the suggestion that the I .' wish to shelter behind the boys. Tf the Minister of Dcfenc«_ has any thouchf of 'this kind in hi* mind _he will be well ad-.ised to reconsider it.