SKULKERS SHOULD BE DEALT WITH.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2472, 27 May 1915, Page 6

SKULKERS SHOULD BE DEALT WITH.

AN OLD VOLUNTEER'S VIEW. 3 (To the Editor.) 3 Sir, —As an old subscriber to your es* teemed paper, and as one who takes 1 pTeat pleasure in following the recruit- j ing campaign through The Dominion, I was rather surprised to see in yesterday's Dominion the call to married S men to enrol for active service. Not I for one moment am I less patriotio J than others, lioither would I placo any I stumbling-block in the way of married /, moil defending the glorious Empire to Si which we bavo the privilege to belong", e and a privilege which many young fellows in this Dominion seem to caro very f little or nothing about. Sir, what about the large section of single skulk- I crs *'ho are hanging back, caring not J who bleeds and dies for freedom a-s long j 5 as they can escape service? It seems I to me that with all our vaunted blow about the compulsory training that tho Minister of Defence or the Cabinet do not go far enough, but should certainly briug in such legislation that would v allow of all those who are shirking their duty to the State to be dealt with, and make them enrol whether they like t it or not. To call upon the married men to go to the front before these un- J patriotic skulkers havo been brought to book shows a weak spot in our de- £ fence system that should be immediately rectified. Surely one would think j! that single men would have , principle 'f enough to see that by going them- i selves and releasing as far as possible tho married men, they would be doing j tho Dominion a twofold service; firstly, by fighting for the Empire and in many ( cases also preventing widows and orphans from having to depend upon tho state for a living. But, Sir, how maiiy are there in the Dominion that do not care one jot about Empire, widows, orphans, or anything else, as long as they can shirk duty themselves I sincerely hope that the Defenco Authorities will move in this matter. All honour to those brave fellows who have gone, and are still going to fight the greatest and foulest curse of a nation that the world has over seen —a nation without honour, without principle, of murderers, of liars, deceitful and cunning, only worthy of being stamped out of existence as a military Power; and mav we live to see this consummation take placo as early as possible. I am an old man myself, numbering some sixty-five years, but would willingly go to-morrow if they would enrol' me.—l am. etc., OLD VOLUNTEER. Hawera, May 26, 1915.