BOY SOLDIERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 August 1917, Page 6

BOY SOLDIERS.

To the Editor. Sir, —The suggestion to reduce the. re- , cruiting age of boys to 19 years in order to relieve the "strain" on the Second Division is only equalled in its cowardice by the reason:; given fortln proposed change, which, in efi'cct, are that second division men would then be :>blc to hide behind their wives' skirts for another two or three months. The Daily News is generally looked upon as the semiofficial organ of the Second Division League, and I desire to congratulate you. Sir. on your outspoken denunciation of the scandalous proposal, but this in itself is not sufficient to rehabilitate the League in the eyes of decent, honorable men, and T unhesitatingly assert that

its only course is to pass strongly worded resolutions of protest in condemnation of this projected outrage on boys ol tender age, who. having no political

strength, arc already marked out as tiie helple-s victims | >f financial, political and military shirkers. On this question there can be no neutrality and the League mw t declare itself. Is it in favor of the proposal, or it is not? Which is it to be'; The First Division, their parents, and not least, their sisters await the an; act.—l am. etc., PATER. Tikorangi.

1 [The an wer has been given by the branches of the Second Division League throughout New Zealand—they are deeidediv against the proposal, and have passed resolutions to that effect. —Ed.}