MEN OR MICE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 195, 19 December 1941, Page 4

MEN OR MICE

Sir, —The Beacon is to be congratulated upon its leading article "'Men or Mice." One can hardly credit that in a British community there are men "witlr' souls so dead" as to be so indifferent to sense of their responsibilities or that such ' f inequality of sacrifice should exist; but on the face of it, Jt looks that *: In the meantime, be fair, for surely there are among them men who through thoughtless- - - ness have not yet offered their services either to the Home Guard or to the E..P.S. Your censure will surely bring to the minds of these thoughtless ones their OAvn personal sense of responsibility. If, however, , after a reasonable lapse of time those who have not a very good excuse to offer do not weigh in, they can safely be dubbed by some fitting name less courageous or euphonius than the term "mouse." We cannot credit, that should trouble come, these men would stand by and see their wives and children and property protected by other men whose previous training fit them to do their work in a more V confident and efficient manner. Chaos is the child of inefficiency and ignorance. Women and children come first and should trouble come, which of course it may not, all the- Home Guard and the E.P.S. ask of these mouse-men is that they should not block the gangway nor make too many demands.

All kinds of excuses are offered and" will be forthcoming by these men for not joining, such as age, petrol restrictions, business interests ami hosts of others but they are of no avail. Where there is a will there is a way. Any man capable of earning his living is capable- of doing something.

Each and every one of us has some Interest to protect and preserve and it is the duty of every one to offer [f required his or her services where they can best be used. Let each of us in the quiet of our homes ask ourselves "what am I doing to help my country out of which I get so much." There are among us those who through physical disability or extreme age are unable to contri- _ bute service, and those otherwise v eccupied in essential services, to those we say, this does not apply to you. Yours etc., PRO PATRIA.