RECRUITS WANTED.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17282, 25 September 1916, Page 6

RECRUITS WANTED.

The men of New Zealand are seriously invited to note the grave shortage in the Twenty-first Reinforcements now being mobilised for training. Tho deficiency runs into some hundreds. On appearances, tho conclusion that voluntaryism is breaking down would nob bo difficult to reach, and certainly unless tliero is a marked and a prompt improvement tho Government will in a few weeks be conscribing men for tho war. But surely that course may be postponed for a few months, at least. Wo shall not at this stage argue about tho justice of compulsion. Tho people are, we feel sure, almost unanimous in holding that the Military Service Act is a proper measure, warranted not only by necessity but upon moral arguments, since it insists upon all eligible men sharing the liability to fight. If we tried to argue against that principle, wo should soon got into deep water. But the sentimental side of tho question as woll ns the logical deserves some consideration, and for that reason we join with the Government in wishing for a continued supply of vol-

unlcer soldiers to rcinforco those who are on tho battlefield. AYc agree with tho Ministers that compulsion should be applied only if it cannot be avoided —with this qualification, that the special provisions for reaching members of individual “shirking” families should bo used as soon as possible. Tho Government cannot, of course, escape somo share of responsibil.tv for the shortage now deplored by tho Recruiting Board. ’ Looal camps would havo wonderfully stimulated recruiting. So would a .policy under which financial obligations of would-be fighters were accepted by tho State, as they ought to bo according to every consideration of justice. Theso matters and others vitally aifecting tho position have been urged again and again upon tho authorities for two long years, with most disappointing results. W c do not know how many times tho Government has been advised and requested through these columns to swear men in upon enlistment, or acceptance, and at last we understand that that course is to be followed, commencing to-day. But it is pathetic at this stage of tho proceedings to ho told by the chairman of tho Recruiting Board that the shortage which is now causing anxiety “has been wholly caused by tho failure of tho men who liavo registered for service in tho several districts to answer tho summons to proceed to camp to commence their training as members of the Expeditionary borce.” In other words, tho authorities would not have been in their present trouble if they had long ago adopted the method of swearing in which they are commencing do-day. But while tho Government has not fully appreciated its duty, tho fact remaips that unless for quite good reasons men have no right to play fast and loose with their promises. Apparently there aro hundreds of defaulters—hundreds of men who had undertaken to join tho Twenty-first Reinforcements, but have simply stayed away when the call came to go into training. The appeal that Mr Massey now makes for the assistance of local recruiting committees will c'ouhtless meet with a good response, and in the courso of a, few dnys we may find tho shortage steadily diminishing; but at. the moment the friends of voluntaryism cannot help being disturbed in mind. Thoro will bo cither a sharp improvement in the volume of bona fide enlistments or tho Military Servico Act will become a very live statute.