The Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY, JANUARY 13, 1917. “OBEY THE CALL.”

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1661, 13 January 1917, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY, JANUARY 13, 1917. “OBEY THE CALL.”

THE Acting-Prime Minister and Minister of Defence (the Hon. James Allen) was asked by a Post reporter as to what the Government’s intentions were in regard to those men who had been selected in the ballot and had not fulfilled the provisions of the Military Service Act. “1 have no information yet,” he replied, “as to the number of men, if there are any, who have not obeyed their instructions to report to the Medical Boards for medical examination, nor have I any report as to the number of men, if any, who have not turned up when they have been ordered to mobilise and go into camj) with the 24th and 25th Reinforcements. If there are any such men I repeat, what I said down South: “I hope that, they will lose no time in carrying out the instructions that have been given to them.’ It is an honourable thing for them to do, and when the history of this war comes to be written later on, New Zealand will Lave nothing it (-an feel more proud of than if it is in a position to say that not a single man evaded his duty. The Government has to carry out the Act. These two classes of men, if there are men who have evaded medical examination or failed to turn up when ordered to mobilise, are under the law, either absent without leave, or they are deserters. I should be very sorry indeed to have to bring any man into camp. I much prefer, and hope, that every man will come in of his own free will. In these early stages of the administration of the Act, the Defence Department is quite prepared to treat men as absent without leave if they will turn up and obey the call. It is on offence, and a serious offence, to be absent without leave, but it is nothing like the offence, nor is there attached to it the same disgrace, that must apply to the man who is a deserter. And the penalty for desertion may he a very heavy one. I don’t think there are many men who have not obeyed the call, and again I say I hope that I hey will reflect on the situation (if there are such men) and come in as men who are. absent Avithout leave, and not compel us to treat them as deserters. 1 would hate to have to do so."