FACING THE FACTS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2726, 22 March 1916, Page 4

FACING THE FACTS

Recruiting now, generally speaking, is decidedly slack. Apart from the admirable spurt recently shown by Auckland, there has been'a marked shortage in the number of men coming forward for immediate and future drafts of reinforcements. That this should be the case, in spite of the special efforts put forward under the guidance of the new Recruiting Board, is a fact to be seriously weighed. It is true that the scheme of the Recruiting Board has not been adopted in its entirety, by those organisations to whom appeal was made by the Prime Minister and his colleagues. The local bodies and recruiting organisations who expressed their ' willingness to cmbark on the campaign suggested have conducted recruiting meetings, _ and in some instances have established' recruiting offices, but so far as is known the personal canvass of elifible men' has not bebn attempted, his is not altogether surprising. The task is a delicate one,_ and few arc capable of undertaking such work successfully. It is as well, however, that the' public should clearly understand the position. _ The men arc not coming forward in the numbers required to enable the Dominion to fulfil its obligations to the Empire and to our own troops already at the front. That fact has to be faced. The appeals now being made arc not producing the required re : suits. If this state of things continues, there is no alternative to some form of'compulsory service to secure the necessary men. There are some who still cling.Jo the fetish of voluntaryism, and because of this it may bo desirable to give the system the fullest possible trial. Rut it cannot go on indefinitely. For ourselves, we have no misgivings concerning the introduction of a system which will place all on the samo footing in the matter of obligation to serve their country. There arc thousands of men willing enough to servo who will welcome a form of compulsion that will spread the burden equitably. They object to the voluntary system because it takes toll of the willing and,allows the shirker to escape." When Parliament m«etH thn situation will buvo to be ' met by definite action,