THE SECOND DIVISION

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 23, 22 October 1917, Page 5

THE SECOND DIVISION

(To the Editor.) Sir,—Allow me to enter your arena, and pick up tho gauge thrown in by "Barbara, Jun." I portray her in my mind's eye as a timorous maiden earned away by patriotic fervour. A wife will follow my meaning when I say that it is tho acme of unselfishness that inspires the majority of the Second Division men to combine for better conditions. I hey are not asking for a higher rate of pay for themselves, but that allowances ior wife and children may be brought up to such a standard that they may havo the feeling that those who are first and foremost in their lives are secure from charity. Even patriotic charity leaves a. bitter taste, although the spirit of such is greatly to be commended — When I first took up a. riflo for the defence of tho flag (I have previous to this war two campaigns to my credit) it was to me a great adventure, with the idea that should death claim me I might meet it as a soldier should. I should have been "struck off tho strength," and thero my earthly liabilities would havo ended—not so now. As a married man who enlisted with the Thirteenth Reinforcements, I consider wo have a great deal to thank tho balloted Second Division men for—men who have played tho garao with their dependants by restraining their ardour until such times os their country stood in real need of them. It takes time to make a soldier, and even' "long service men" quit the Army feeling that there is still a great deal to learn about military procedure. A single man may take any risks, financial or otherwise, and count it "in the game"; but a married man who does so is looking for trouble. It is said a man is ruled by his head, a woman by her heart, and so tho adage seems to have again been exemplified by "Barabra, Jun."

I think if your correspondent will look deeper than the surface she will find that the "trumpet blowing warriors-to-be"—l think I quote correctly—do not really deserve such .scathing criticism. As regards the spending of the increased allowance on dress, my wife advises me to leave tho matter severely alone, as such things are out of the province of mere man, and stick to soldiering, of which she confesses 6he knows next to nothing. In her closing. "Up, Guards. and at 'em," paragraph, "Barbara, Jun.," describes herself as "a weak woman taking up the pen the men have laid down/' Candidness is a Rood point. She is weak to try and "do" the wives and kiddies out' of the littlo extra—l am, JUNIOR TRENTHAM. October If).