UNDER COMPULSION.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 December 1916, Page 6

UNDER COMPULSION.

RECRUITS SHOW WILLINGNESS. j DIFFICULTIES TO OVERCOME. The. Defence Office, Havers, lias presented a busy scene during the past few days, when a large number of com-pulsorily-enlisted recruits of No. 8 (Taranaki) group were examined by the Medical Board and were attested prior to being despatched to camp. The members of the Medical Board. Leutenants-Colonel P. A. Lindsay and K. Jennings, gave a News reporter some interesting impressions of the men they have examined since they have been at work as a Medical Board: They had been oonducting medical examinations in other parta of the Wellington military district for some time, and their experience was that the spirt that animated the ballotted men was just the same as that of the first men who came along. It was quite evident that the reason for these men having to be called up was not that they had not desired to go, but that there were circumstances in their lives which prevented tliem from being able to get away. The doctors said they bad experienced the greatest pleasure during the examination in Hawora. The men who.had come forward were a particularly fine lot, and, as far as could be seen, they bad accepted the position of being ealKkl up without complaint. | "We know," added the doctors, "that many of them are beset with difficulties, and some consideration will have ti) be given them to enable them to get away with an easy mind. That is a matter for the authorities to arrange, but we are sure if such arrangements are made the men will go away without any mental worry as to .the fate of their dependents, and there will not be any difference between them and the men who went off first. "A REMARKABLY FIXE LOT." "As far as the health and suitability of the -men are concerned," said the members of the Board, "they are a remarkably fine lot. The numbers show that only a very small percentage are totally unfit for service with the Expeditionary Force, and that only a reasonable number have had to be placed on the list for home service. We have been more than pleased with the arrangements that have been made by the local officers of the Defence Department. The men have been handled courteously and in a business-like way, while the behaviour of the men themselves has been exemplary, and the only grumbling has-been when certain defects could not be overlooked in order to let the men away. We have, only met with one attempt at malingering—a man endeavored to deceive us with his eyesight at Masterton—and a number of men who were unfortunately unfit tried to make light of any defect in the hope that it might be passed over. The convenience of the men lias been studied as far -is local transport conditions would allow, and t'-e arrangements made for their examination in privacy have been excellently carried out.

AX UNJUSTIFIED ERM. "We do not like the term 'shirker,'" the members of the Board continued. "In this district we have examined a number of men who have been called up under clause 35, and our experience has been that in no way is the term 'shirker' justified. The men who have come up have hud <the virtue of not even betraying any resentment at being clashed as shirkers. When they have anything to say, it is in the direction of giving, .vhat is to them, a good reason why they have not volunteered* before. We have nothing to do with the conscientious objector, but at no time have we discovered any reluctance on the part of those who make this a ground of appeal We think the cause of recruiting would be very much better served if people did not sit in judgment on men of whose circumstances they are entirely ignorant. THE BOARD'S APPRECIATION'. "We have found the men quite willing to submit to examination, and we are sure the only difficulty is that which the men have, iin arranging their private matters in order to get away. In conclusion, we have to express our appieciation of the good work done by Major Cox and his staff. DUTV OF ELIGIBLE MEV. The remarks made by the members of the Medical Board were referred to the members of the Military Service Board, who were also sitting in Hawera. The chairman, Mr. D. (i. A. Cooper, S.M., said he could endorse absolutely the observations made by the medical officers. With very few exceptions, the compulsorily-enlisted recruits who ha.v»

come before the Board 'had shown a keen desire to go to the front. Most of them had difficulties which by themselves they were unable to overcome! and it was only when their circumstances were revealed to the L'oard that the means of overcoming them were found. Mr. Cooper considered that no distinction should be made between voluntary and compulsory recruits. The speaker stressed the importance" of all single men preparing their affairs against the time when they would be called up. ORGANISATION NECESSARY. Mr. D. McLaren, a member of the Board, said it was time those engaged in the dairying and other industries organiesd their businesses so as to admit 0! as many single men being freed for military service as possible. Steps were being taken in this direction in Wellington and elsewhere, and similar steps should certainly be taken in Taranaki.