THE AGE LIMIT FOR WAR SERVICE.

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3162, 14 August 1917, Page 5

THE AGE LIMIT FOR WAR SERVICE.

suggested call on boys Proposal may be dropped ' The decision of the Government conftornmg the suggested lowering of tho military age to 19 years will bo known When the Expeditionary Forco Bill is introduced, probably about the end of next week. Tho Bill has already been Before .Cabinet twice, but it contains jmuiy Liatjters requiring. attention, and tho finish'.ing touches have not yet been given it. .It ispossiblo that the proposal to take jiioyij of 19 year* into the training equips '■will be dropped, at any rale until some jof tho classes of. the Second Division liavo been taken. Milij.tary opinion, it is understood, is in Jifavour of lowering tho ago, on Uio ground jtliat young men up to 25 years of age 'respond most readily to military trainling. New Zealand is stated to be the ■only belligerent country in which the military age is higher than 18 years r.t ■tho present timo. But, on the ether Jland, all the other countries where ctu■scription is in force have taken the young [married men. The communications that nre reaching Ministers and members of .Parliament indicate that a strong body : of opinion in tho Dominion is opposed to the enlistment of the 19-year-olds it tho present stage of the ivar. WHAT THE SECOND DIVISION ■ THINKS. EMPHATIC PROTEST BY FEDERATED LEAGUES. At a meeting of tho Wellington Second Division League Committee and Actiug lixecutive of tho Federated Leagues or Zealand held last evening, Air. K. A. Armstrong, president, in the chair, the secretary, Mr. C. 11. Chapman, rerported having communicated with Uic .various leaguee throughout the Dominion on tho subject of tho rumoured reduction of the age of conscription to 19, and read the replies, which were unanimous itt strongly; opposing the proposed reduction.; After discussion the lollowing resolution was carried:— That this meeting, speaking in the name of the Federated Second Division Leagues of New Zealand, records aa emphatic protest against the rumoured intention of Government to lower the age of conscription to 19, and expresses its strong disapproval of any impression being allowed to go forth that New Zealand has had to fall back on the young lads of the country in order to carry on its part in the war, as such wsuld be absolutely contrary to fact, and a deplorable indication of official misjudgment. And, further, that the leaguo calls upon the Government to turn a <|oaf ear to all counsels of timidity, inspired by financial interests, and to legislate without further ielay for .the adequate provision for dependants of soldiers so that tho Second Division men may immediately set about preparing for active service. ■ The members were emphatic in their disapproval of the suggested reduction, and expressed the hope that no reasonable member of the community would for'one moment harbour the thought that the Second Division men would shelter themselves behind the youths of the country. The secretary was instructed to forward a copy of the resolution to each member of the National Ministry.

CARTERTON PROTEST. By Telegraph—Press Association. Carterton, August 13. A- meeting of tho Second Division league here on Saturday -unanimously passed the following resolution, to be "forwarded to the Minister of • Defence nnd the member'for the district: "That . this meoting of members of the Second Division League very strongly protests against the proposed action of-the Government in calling up youths of 19 to eervo at the battlefront." ■PROTEST PROM DUNEDIN. By Telegraph—Press Association. ■ Dunedin, August 13. A meeting of tho National Welfare Association of | Dunedin at Ravenebourne io-night passed motions protesting against the reported intention of the .to call rap boys under 20 for military BervicD. MAYOR OF AUCKLAND'S VIEWS.. ' The proposal to call up young men liuder 20 years of ago for active service was roferred to tho Mayor of Auckland (Mr. J. H. Gunson) for an expression of opinion. "Tho. suggestion that tho age should bo lowered, in order that boya might ho enlisted for activo service," ho Paid, "ig to my.raiud exceedingly illfdvified, and I trust that the House, in tho evont of such a proposal being made, irill not for a moment entertain it. 1 have no doubt whatever that the overwhelming weight of opinion throughout tho Dominion would be solidly against any proposal that would havo for its object the conscripting of tho boys of our land. If any serious difficulty is likely to arise in rcferenco to our reinforcements, I am satisfied that tho greator bulk of itho community would far sooner w.o the age limit increased to 43 years than there should bo any lowering of the present minimum of 20 yoars. There are a very large number of men, both in tho First and Second Divisions, up to 48 -. yenrs of ago, who are absolutely fit,- and having matured are better able to stand a campaign than these school, boys. In ray opinion, to conscript tho latter at this stage would be bordering almost on a crime against the youth of the country. Tho boy at 20 is just past his school dajs, and is not in any way what might be called matured or set, and that, in my opinion, is absolutely the minimum ageat which a man should be taken for military service, to say. nothing of the point of view which might legitimately be urged in regard to tho immediate future of tho race."

A SOLDIER'S OPINIONS. Mr. E. P. Andrews, secretary at Auckland of the Returned Soldiers' Association, expressed his, opinion very plainly when asked what ho thought ,of the proposal to take youths of 18 to 19 to train for military service. "Personally, I am utterly opposed to sending men to the front who are too young," said Sir. 'Andrews. "I am speaking from experience gained during tho Gallipoli campaign, where I sarved with tho Otago Infantry. There is no need to conscrip: these youths while there aro any amount of men fit to go in tho Second Division. , There are also a number of tho men of the First Division who have received exemption for various reasone who ehould certainly be called upon before the lads. I know eorno First Division men who have been turned down who r.ro now fit, and would bo quito willing to go to tho front. Our experience at Gallipoli was that the youngsters, while quite as brave , as other men, could not stand the etrain so well as tnoso who were older, , with constitutions fully set. If the records of the hospitals -were examined, I am quite certain that it would be found the greater proportion of those who suffered from typhoid fever yore tho younger soldiers. I am iot sayin™ a word against them aa lighters; it is a question of their nerves ind constitution generally not being equal to standing the strain of a strenuous campaign. The failure of Kitchener's Army at Suvla. Bay was, in my opinion, duo largely to tho great number of immature soldiers included in that force. Somo of them were liiero boys, and had evidently not boon sufficiently hardened by training before they were "hurried to the frout. I may inform you that tills r.,atter will come before tho committee of our association, and I have not tie slightest doubt that a strong resolution will be forwarded to the Government."