OUR VOLUNTEERS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 23, 20 February 1909, Page 2

OUR VOLUNTEERS

O'NlvTUllU) MEDICALLY UNl'lT. A STRONG LNDICTMENT. Bv Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington,. Last. Night. The volunteer system of New Zealand has for some time been subject to U deal of criticism, generally from the Inmu who knows nothing about it. The 'expert, of course, takes no notice ot lannchair criticisms, but he at time* micHtions matters thatt have a distincc 'bearing 011 the subject, and lire more Idamning than the irritating remark* 'of those -who know nothing. In conversation with a medical man vesterday. a. reporter was' made to beSieve that although the volunteer force lis at fair strength in proportion to the nualo population, and although it was fairly efiieient irom the •point of view of mere ceremonial demonstration, only about two-thirds \in the opinion of the medical man) 'were physically lit. As an ex-Auny -man, the physician alleged that it was 'ridiculous to train men who had not •been: medically examined, and who would on any .severe occasion "crack up." In his own words: ''There is no occupation which requires so great a jdiysica'l strain aw that oi soldiering ■during war time. The only possible excuse for the enlistment of volunteers is ithat they wilL be called upon to defend ■their country by force. Only the fill •survive during an arduous campaign. Jn my opinion, at least two-thirds of the volunteers of Wellington would be •able to face the .stress of a hard-fought campaign. The idea tlitft a. man has •to face only the bullets, the shells

land the bayonet of an enemy i»> 'course, idiotic. What he has to icar •more than these, is the onslaught of disease. No volunteer in New Zealand is expected to undergo a medical examination for service. A soldier is forced to undergo such examination, and in »my experience all physically weak apIplfcants a ret invariably rejected. If a buipreme commander having medical ■knowledge were by any chance to be teoinhnandant of the forces* of New Zealand, he would insist that only the lit tarried arms. My point is that the physically unlit in times of war are not j only a danger, but an absolute nuisance. ?!My further point is tluvt in the lirst j place a sick man is of no use as a fight--1 jng machine. Next, that when lie is jilciul ho is simply clay that must be ;buried, and therefore reduces the cllit'ient.,strength of an army. 1 would insist, wore I able, that every man who is enlisted into lite volunteer army of New Zealand should 1 be as vigorously examined a> in the applicant for admission into ftn European army. At present we are admitting a large number jif men who would be wiped out a& inefficient iu a fortnight, and it is not right. TIIK STlil-MiT'll OF TIIK J'OROE#. 1 Wellington, Last Night. \ Returns just completed show that liliere 'was an increase of 186 during I January in the total strength of the New Zealand defence forces, which now tnumber '20.-JO!) of nil ran'ks.