THE SECOND DIVISION.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 January 1918, Page 3

THE SECOND DIVISION.

To the Editor. Sir, —Now that tlip wlhole of the First Class, the childless married men, of the Second .Division are supposed to have beep called up it would be shortly very interesting to know how many soldiers have been secured from the eighteen to twenty thousand of this class, which we were told were in existence some months ago. Perhaps the Defence Minister may be persuaded to furnish us with return's showing: (1) How many of this class have 'been called up; the number of those who have been medically examined, accepted, drafted to CI camp, and absolutely rejected as unfit.; (2) how many youths have come of military age since the first of the Second Division ballots were taken, and what proportion of these boys have been sent into the CI and otiher camps; (3) down to what strength the monthly reinforcements have been cut; (-1) is the call for men now any less urgent than it was two or three years <igoV There is a general impression amongst the public that the recruiting from the Second Division is little better than a farce, inasmuch aA an apparently well preserved able-bodied set of men. mostly in the prime of life, and generally more suitable than a large proportion oT the boyg who are sent awav to fight are furnishing so paltry a portion of fit men. Wihat is the matter ? Wo read daily the cry from Home "moro men," "send them quickly," and so on. Is New Zealand to be satisfied with sending and sacrificing her boys only? Eleven thousand have made the supreme sacrifice already! Wake up, New Zealand, and wake up your Government! The war is not won yet. Our leaders tell .is that sacrifice is the motto for lfllS. Let our New Zealand Cabinet and Parliament give us the lead. There are a hundred and one ways of making sacrifice and helping to win the war other than that of sending the bovs to fig'ht for us.—l am. etc., FATHER OF VOLUNTEER SONS. Waitara, January 23. [So far the proportion of fit men in tlie Second Division is about the same as in the First Division. But if it is lower, why blame the Second Divisionists? They are no more to blame for this physical condition than any other c)ass of recruit. We should honor any man, married or single, volunteer or conscript, who is fighting or preparing to fight our battles.—Ed.]