TO DEAL WITH SHIRKERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 November 1915, Page 5

TO DEAL WITH SHIRKERS.

DRASTIC REMEDIES IF NECESSARY. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. It is undcrstod that in the matter of young men of military age leaving the country, if there is any appearance on their departure of an evasion of military obligations, they will receive the fullest attention from the authorities. The Prime Minister has stated that probably yesterday's batch by the Moana would be the last big shipment of young men to the United States for some'time One suggestion had been made that if young men depart from their country at a critical time in its history, and forsake it, a law should be passed preventing their return, thus virtually ban ishing them for ever from these shores.

YOUNG MEN FOR AMERICA MOANA TAKES A CONSIGNMENT. Wellington, Nov 12. More than fifty young male New Zealanders, between the ages of seventeen years and thirty-five years, left. Wellington yesterday by the mail steamer Moana, bound for San Francisco. Some of them had business in the United States. But there is reason to believe that the majority of them left the Dominion in order to avoid coming within the scope of the National Register "We believe that conscription is coming, and we object to military service," said one of the travellers, who wore the badge of an anti-militarist organisation. An officer of the Moana shrugged his shoulders when asked by a reporter how many '■shirkers" he had aboard. "We don't usually carry, so many young men," he said. "The boat seems to be full of them. But I can't say anything about the business of passengers. Perhaps all these young fellows have perfectly good reasons for goiiig abroad just now. And if their reasons are not good, then they are no loss to anybody, so I wouldn't worry about them. The British Empire has no use for the man who won't fight." A rumour gained currency during the afternoon that the Moana might be delayed owing to the unwillingness of the crew to go to sea with able-bodied young men who were leaving the Empire in a time of crisis, and some interested persons were waiting on the wharf at 5 p.m. to watch events. The steamer did not leave up to time, owing to the late arrival of a mail, but she moved away soon after 6 p.m. A score or so of young men leaned against the, bulwarks.

The matter was mentioned to the Prime Minister. Mr. Massey said that he had secured a copy of the passenger list earlier in the day, nnd could say frankly that he had been surprised. There seemed no escape from the conclusion that some young men were running away from their duty. The Imperial Government had found it necessary to stop that sort of thing by requiring that men of military age should secure passports before leaving the country at the present juncture, and he was considering what steps, if any, ought to be taken in New Zealand.