CONSCRIPTION.

Evening Star, Issue 23383, 28 September 1939, Page 15

CONSCRIPTION.

TO THE EDITOR.

Sif, —It is plain to see that the person. who writes the leaders in your paper is over military age. I refer to the article in last night’s (Monday) paper, headed ‘ Conscription the Only Way.’ I fail to see what any man ever military age can have to do with this question. What right has any such man —except, of course, members of Parliament—to publish such a selfish, un-called-for statement? Has your writer ever been to a war ? I went to the last war under conscription, and still suffer unbelievable pain and agony, and I earnestly pray that those who agitated for conscription may suffer as I have. It is all very well for them. They sit smug at home and preach loyalty and patriotism well out of the road of bayonets. I call it downright selfishness of any man over military age to say the things that were said in your paper last night. Conscription is a question which can only he settled by those likely to go and by Parliament. I trust that you will ask your writer to leave Acts of Parliament to the men whose job it is to attend to such matters. Perhaps he thinks that the Government does not know its job and seeks his advice P I can assure, him that it knows what it is doing without the help of any presumptuous “knowalls.” So that there will be no ill-feel-ing, I remain anonymous.—l am, etc.. Thanking You.

Dunedin, July 26. [While sympathising with our correspondent over his troubles resulting frdni the last war, we feel constrained

to point out that more than one person writes leading articles for the ‘ Evening Star.’ It so. happens that the writer whom he criticises left New Zealand on active service in 1915 at the age of 18. He has now a wife and four children, and is in receipt of a small life pension. Nevertheless he has again volunteered to do what he can for his country through the National Military Reserve. These facts can be verified by our correspondent at this office.— Ed. E.S.]