THEY CAN'T SHOOT

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 120, 23 June 1941, Page 5

THEY CAN'T SHOOT

NEW ZEALAND SOLDIERS MR F. W. DOIDGES STORY Illustrating the Government's laxity in training the men for averscas with suitable equipment, Mr F. W. Doidge, M.P., said in the Edgecumbe Hall last Thursday that he had recently, learnt the opinion of a rqturned man, who not only had seen, service in this war but had actually been through the last one as well. '•'Speaking to. this man," said Mr Doidge, "I reme/mber him saying that the morale and the physique of the men were actually better this war than in the last. The only drawback was that they could not shoot owing to the limited equipment used in their training. "The men in Greece and Crete, lie continued, were splendid specimens but the tragedy, was that they could not handle a rifle! To send men out on such campaigns, which \vere in effect riflemen's wars was an indictment on the government responsible for their training. Mr Doidge Avent on to. recall the time when he pleaded in vain for £700 to establish a rifle range in Tauranga Yet he said, the Government could spend £100,000 on broadcasting pal-, aces and millions more on otlici superfluous ventures. They forgo* about essentials. They might be al right as men of peace but they were definitely not men of war.