THE CALL TO ARMS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2729, 25 March 1916, Page 3

THE CALL TO ARMS

(To tho Editor.)

Sir, —It is not altogether by stirring, eloquent, and pathetic appeals to tho patriotism and vfllonr of our manhood that it sufficient number of recruits will ho obtained for our armies. Tlicro aro moil who aro so constituted that they de.spiso any action tho impelling force ol which is emotion, and insist that overy act of theirs proceeds from reasoned judgment. No doubt such, an utlitudo commands respect in many of tho incidents of life, though tho boundary lino botweoii far-sighted prudence and cold-blooded sellishiiws is sometimes hard to discern. In a recent novel there is an account of a great wish liro in some far away Canadian provinco, and the sounding of the alarm bell and other signals. At tho warding clangour all tho men, rich mid poor, young and old, drop wliatovor tiiey may bo doing at tho moniont, and, seizing appropriate implements for battling with tho flames, ride for dear ™ tho places where tlioir efforts may bo. of tho most avail. Tlioro nro no shirkors, no ' hangers-back, none with cold foot, or other excuses, for tho penalty for shirking is stern, docisivo, swift and remorselessly inflicted. Alio common need is rccognised, and mi 0011 ! 1 '" 0 " p allso must bo assisted, iho situation to-day is analogous; tno enomy liros aro raging towards us, and it is only by a united and c ofcormniod effort they can bo subcluod. J ho oxiunplo of ono shirker is nioro deadly than tlio loss of his individual services. If A hangs hank, u > &'><} D nro oncournged to do tho samo, and so tho evil spreads. If tlio struggle ivcro not ono of lifo and (loath to us ns n pcoplo, thoro mii'lit no some specious mid plausible reason for such a ono to hang back, imd let bettor men do tho work, but a crisis has now- arrived when nono can bo spared, and when ovoryouo is absolutely needed for tlio work. To tlioso who .havo property tlio temptation is to say: "Oh, lot tho landless go: I am wautod at homo to look after my proporty or my business." But tlioso aro tho very men who should bo tho hrst to go. Their call to tlioir followiiioii should bo: "Oomo on, men, I have more to loso than most, but I havo more to defend; I only rkk my lifo as you do by going, ami I help to savo my property and woalth." llicro is. too much skin-saving and nionoy-hunting amongst us, and while this continues wo «rc not doing our best as a people, and our prayers for success aro insincere. This policy of making money out of tlio war is tainting us right through, and is affecting our offorts to fight tlio war as it requires to be fought; so long as any class pile up prices, extract unjust profits from supplios, and gather to themselves an unduo proportion of tlio wax expenditure, so long will men bo found who use the selfishness of tho traders as an exouso for not joining tho forces. They ask ivliy they should fight to protect j such ill-gotten gains; but unless they are prepared to go the length of saying "Let ns all perish together," the answer is insufficient to excuse them for holding back; and because in extinguishing a goneral conflagration,' the homes of a few worthless criminals aro saved, we should not abstain from tho work required. Wo havo very good liopo that those who havo enriched themselves out of the war expenditure will be mado to disgorge. If after all, tho appeals made to their honour, pride, manhood, and patriotism, and the coH reasons given why every able-bodied man must give his services, there are tlioso who still hang back, there is only one ' course to adopt, and that is compul- ; sion; but tho conscripts should not bo I given the same privileges and honour as the volunteers, until they have proved themselves to be men in some hard-

fought field. Believing as we do that hereditary caution, and a dull imagination, which deprives them of tho power of sensing tho situation as it really exists, are the causes which koep so ninny physically fine young men from enlisting, wo address their reason, their temporal and material interests, and point out to them that the risk they_ are required to take is what is denominated a fair business risk, and comnionds itself alike to the cautious, self-seeking man, as much as to the brave young patriots who hastened I at the first call to serve their country, | their homes, and families. The urgency of the call from the Home authorities is demonstrated by the price they aro willing to pay to the men f''om the Dominions. Never more soldiers so highly paid, so well equipped, Iso efficiently attended to when sick or wounded, and so well provided for in pensions for themselves and dependants. It is now or never for us: either liberty and prosperity, or thraldom and poverty. Tho stake is every-' tl' : ns: wo each possess, tho widow's mite, the millionaire's gold and lands, and life or death for all. "To tho coward, safety, and after that his evil hour." Who will be a coward slave, who will seek Safety at the price of overytliing wottli living for? Only he who will probably find that, after all, lie has lost everything as well as honour. —I am, eto., HAWERA.