WHY THEY JOINED

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 66, 25 September 1939, Page 8

WHY THEY JOINED

HATRED OF HITLERISM That the spirit which animated the first !Nc\v Zealand forces to go oveiseas in 191-1 still holds good with the volunteers to-day is clearly indicated in a chat with the men who have joined up in the special military force l'or service. Though often cloaked with a mask of flippancy and a dislike of anything savouring of high flown sentiments, the men's feeling is thai., although war is a criminally fo:;'ish thing, it ir; up to every man who believes in the principles of international right and justice to give everything to assist his own country the homeland, and the Allies in the struggle against aggression. "I would like to line Hitler up and have a shot at him'' said one recruit. "I don't feel any animosity against the Germans themselves, other than that thcj r deserve some punishment for being such fools as to follow this mad leader of theirs. But I hope that Ave can show some restraint and after thi.s ordeal is over do something to j make a repetition impossible." Another man, Avhosc vieAvs were similar, said he had giA*en sonic thought to using the fruits of A'ictory in, the best Avay. It didn't look as though disarmament Avould be possible after the Avar, unless the Bolshevik regime in Russia collapsed as he hoped and believed it would. Germany Avould have to be goA r erned by an international body for a generation at least, but cA'crv effort must be taken to aA'oid embittering the people. The great threat to future peace Avas that Hitler had had his Avav Avith youth for scA*eral years and the German in control in, a few years might be one who had had this superman business drilled into him. That type Avould take some Avatehing. He thought the present middleaged German Avould AA clcome a change of gOA'crnmcnt.

"I'm keen to go" said another man "Join the Army and see the world and all that sort of thing. There'll be a lot of nn?.ty moments, we all know that, but we'll be facing them with real pals and there'll be other moments or all the returned soldiers have been pulling our legs.'' Another man was keen to get into the air force. "Wouldn't like a bomb er much," he said, "although you. are one of a team and probably have n good show of coming through. Just think of sitting in a Hurricane fight-j er. Oh boy."

"T enlisted to have a cut nt these Nazis'' said another man. "Tf we don't check it in Europe it'll be on our own doorstep next. It scem.s to be a good idea to do your fighting as fhr away from home as you can. The Frcnoh have the Tight idea." "We'll beat them' 7 said another volunteer. "We stand a lot of pinpricking but we Anglo-Saxons get annoyed every ?o often and h'storv shows what happens wlvm we do. I hone Am'erici conies in. but vou can understand their feelings about the matte'". It is prcbnblv true that their tnm will come if the Empire beaten but when you are iselated an ( ] relatively secure it is hprd to! nlnns.>" into i war. T w?sh we had naid more off the war debts though. The'e is no doubt that is a feel ; nfj o' resentment in the States' about that." Another man was willing to r ; o any where and fight anywhere. A man had no choice. Fa«c\sm menaced •civilisation and Britain, was acting now from motives even higher than in mu. He was glad that the leaders showed such restraint as evidenced by the propaganda raids. That was ;i glorious sign of strength that could not be ignored. However, he lel t strong distaste for the attitude of the small nations in Europe, particularly the western ones. Thcv were to sit on the fence and hon? "r:r Ei 1 gland's victo-y. but if w ( » lost they went down too. Then where would Ihdiaivl r.ml her rich East Indies empire be?