ARE YOU WILLING TO ENLIST ?

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2576, 25 September 1915, Page 4

ARE YOU WILLING TO ENLIST ?

In a few weeks this question, will be put to every man of military ago, in New Zealand. Everyone 'desires to seo the answer come rolling in from the four corners of the country in a tremendous and emphatic "Yes!" It was a happy inspiration which caused Mr-. Massey to .offer the men of New Zealand this great opportunity in his National Registration Bill. Nowhere in - the Empire have the ;people been 'enabled to volunteer en masse, in the know-: ledge that they would be grouped according to their qualifications and responsibilitiels, and called ,up in that order. That, wo take'it, is the intention of the Government under the Bill. If the matter is taken up in the proper spirit, wo believe the Bill may easily prove itself the most brilliant political experiment ever tried in New Zealand. Under its provisions it should be possible to secure practically all the advantages of compulsion without compulsion, and if in the end compulsion did beoome necessary it would be only to bring into line an insignificant minority of obvious laggards. The great defect of voluntary enlistment on ordinary lines-is that the burden of service falls so unevenly. The authorities are necessarily. obliged l to take those men who offer themselves from day to day without first classifying them according to' their circumstances, and more particularly thqir responsibilities i"- providing for dependents. If, however, say. eighty per cent, of tho nlen of 'New Zealand simultaneously express their willingness to serve, and answer the various questions ip. the Registration Bill as to their age and circumstances, they can be grouped into classes, as is done in those countries where conscription is in force, and the reinforcements henceforward Mn be drawn first from those with the lightest ties, and so through the list. This means justice to all, and he would be a p'oor-spirited man who would not volunteer to go in his class under such conditions. The success of the Bill depends, we are convinced, entirely upon the extent to which it is made known that the volunteers will be so classified, and will -be called vri in order of ilwr classification. This point cannot bo made too clear. It is not .made clear at all in the questions, nor anywhere in tho Bill a-s it' stands. In these columns on Tuesday we suggested an amendment by which volunteers would be asked to sign the following form:— .

I ivislii to volunteer for military service beyond New Zealand in tho Expeditionary Forces '.when- recruits of my age and circumstances are required, and (issire tliat the Defence' Department sliull notify me when they wish to enlist recruits in tlie grade in which I am placed in view of my qualifications and responsibilities. Signature ... Date . We are not wedded to this precise method of ensuring that a married man of small means with a family to support shall be given a definite assurance that the bachelors volunteering will be called up before his turn comes. But we-are, quite emphatic in our belief that he must be given a very clear assurance to this effect if the Bill is to be the sweeping success it deserves to be. _ The came purpose might _he attained by a notice printed in bold type at the bottom of the form. Unless, some such precaution is taken, many men who'would otherwise offer to enlist will answer "No," and fill in the answer to the inquiry as to' their reasons for refusing by .some;' such statement a-s "Have a wife and three young children to provide for," or "Willing to go after the single men used up," and so on. We sincerely hope that Me. Massey will see his Way to clear up the point by ono method or another. No pain's can be too great to ensure that the answer to the question we print at tlie head of this article will be a big, unanimous, and unequivocal ".Yes!"