OUR DOUBLE DUTY

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 256, 17 July 1918, Page 4

OUR DOUBLE DUTY

New Zealand has two paramount duties in regard to tho war. She has to find fighting men for the front and has also to maintain the production of the country at the highest possible point. These duties were insisted upon in an important statement made yesterday by Mr. D. M'Laren, the ActingChairman of the First Wellington Military Service Board. Mr. M'Laren put the position with commendable clearness when lie declared that it is not a question of production or military service, but of jiroduction and military service. It is not an alternative, but a double obligation. The rule that the "last mail on the farm" should be exempted from military service is a proper and necessary precaution to prevent the paralysis of our producing industries; but certain facts stated by Mr. M'Laren show that some people arc endeavouring by most improper methods to sccurc exemption as "last man." It is the business of the boards to seo that applications for exemptions on this ground arc genuine through and through, and that they are not merely made to enable some people who aro physically fit for military servico to. "get in out of the wet." The boards must place tho interests of tho Dominion and of the Empire above all personal considerations. They must pay due l egard to the spirit as well as the letter of the law, and take every care to ensure that no one shall escape scrvice by subterfuge or trickery. The people of New Zealand are as determined to-day as they , were at the beginning of the war to fulfil all their obligations as regards the supply of fighting men. They refuse to assent to the suggestion that they arc faced with a conflict of duties—that they must make a choice between the obligation to fight and the obligation to keep up the food supply. Thoy aro resolved that both duties must and shall be done. What other countries can do we can do. Much more can be done by organisation to maintain tho productiveness of the country than lias yet been attempted. _ We have not yet reachcd the limits of our industrial resources, and we will not allow it to be said that New Zealand's sword .arm is weakening or growing weary. Sir James Allen gave expression to the firm resolve of his fellow-country-men when he declared, oh Monday night that we entered the war with the intention of seeing it through to tho end, and are unshakably determined to fight on with all our might until final victory has been achieved. No doubt the strain on our resources is severe, but think of the sacrifices which France is making ! Is this a time—when the enemy is striking with all the power and every weapon he. possesses—for us to talk or even think of lessening our military efforts'! _ It is good to have the emphatic and straight-out assurance of the Minister of Defence that lie considers himself absolutely pledged to keep the New Zealand Division at its full strength as -long _as we have the man-TDOwer to do it. This is our plain and positive duty to ourselves, to our Empire, to our Allies, and to humanity.