MANIFICENT PATRIOTISM.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 11 August 1917, Page 6

MANIFICENT PATRIOTISM.

SOME WONDERFUL RECORDS. -"So far the public has not got the true measure of the silent, deep-down country.'' It was a member of one of the Military Service Boards who spoke, and having for sis months past occupied the whole of his time hearing cases for consideration, not necessarily exemption, and viewing what he had heard by his estimate of how the pub: lie thought, he had come to the conclusion that the people as a whole were not aware of the extraordinary cases of patriotism and self-sacrifice that had come under his notice whilst other men were quarrelling about an extra farthing a pound for. this or that. There was one case before the Board in which a young fellow wished to have some six weeks' grace before having to go into camp, in order to arTange some business matter of urgency. During the hearing of the ease it transpired that the young man had five brothers and one sister, and all were at the front, the brothers in the fighting line, and the sister in one of the military hospitals in the capacity of nurse.

On this remarkable record being made known, the members of the Board and even the Chairman began to seek logical reasons for excusing the ""youth (for he was little else) from making the seventh in the family at the front, so gTeat was their admiration for the family that was rendering such signal service to the Empire. As the hearing proceeded the young man perceived the drift of the argument,' and at once spoke out, "I don't wish to be excused, gentlemen," he said. "I only want a little time to fix up my affairs. My brothers have gone and my only sister has gone, and I want to go too." In another case in quite a different part of the country, the Board heard the appeal of the youngest of a family of 12 sons, 11 of whom, with the father, had gone to the front. Two of the dozen had been wounded. The youngest was excused for the present. Surely this a new record. In one other instance a lady of 67 years of age appealed for the .exemption from active service of her youngest son, on the ground that four of her sons had gone forward already and this.was the only one left her The Board was about to take a compassionate view of the case when a letter was received from the young man himself, hotly protesting against being exempted, ond- insisting on going into camp on the due date.