Wairarapa Times-Age TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 1940. THE CALL FOR RECRUITS.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 March 1940, Page 4

Wairarapa Times-Age TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 1940. THE CALL FOR RECRUITS.

THERE has been thus far such an excellent response Jo the recruiting call in the East Coast district of which the Wairarapa forms part .that it may appear that there is. little need for recruiting rallies like that to take place in <• on March 15. when an address is to be given by the Hon Ada Hamilton. We are only in the early stages however oi a strim'o-le of which Ihe duration and demands have vet to oe measured and it is plainly desirable that, the whole re(>r ’ question should be opened up with a view to future and c tinuino' needs. It is presumably a matter of universal agre - merit. that the Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force must be maintained and reinforced adequately and unfailingly while the war continues.

Thus far the Wairarapa-Hawke’s Bay-Gisborne district, as its Area Officer (Captain C. J. Williams) pointed out a lew. days ago, has a proud record where the muster ol recruits tor the Expeditionary Force is concerned. The area was. the hrst in New Zealand t'b fill its quota for the Second Echelon and in addition provided a large number of men to till the shortage in quotas from other areas. The East Coast quota lor the Third Echelon is already more than full, but. additional enlistments are. still being taken and of course are necessary in order that reinforcement drafts may be available as thej aie required. This record is the more creditable since the East Coast, districts possess a large proportion of farm workers, and no really explicit pronouncement has yet been made as to the extent to which employment in agricultural and pastoral industry should be regarded as a reserved occupation.

As to the broad position there can be no doubt that this country, in common with the rest of the Empire and its Allies, is called upon to maintain an unfaltering war effort, the mostessential part of which is the organisation and maintenance of fighting forces, until victory has been achieved. No other view"is possible than that the continued existence in liberty ol New Zealand is as definitely at stake as that of any nation engaged in the war.

For the sake, too, of a united national war effort, sectional controversy over the question of compulsory or voluntary military service has meantime been set aside. The Government, hearing the responsibilities of leadership, is committed to the policy ”of voluntary enlistment and it becomes the duty ol all sections of the community, irrespective of personal views and convictions, to do what they may to ensure the success of that policy. It is urged rightly that sectional controversy must not be allowed to impair national unity and particularly must not be allowed to' interfere with an honest discharge of the obligations we are under to our forces already in the. field. The position reached is that it is agreed as a working principle that the voluntary system is to be given a fair trial.

With the policy of compulsory service rejected, for the time at least, it becomes so much the more important that the whole position should be defined as clearly as possible. Support of the voluntary system by the Government and those who share its views presumably is based upon a belief that, in the main at least, those who would be called upon to lake ii]) arms if a policy of conscription were in force will offer their services voluntarily. To that end it is plainly necessary that a number of important questions, amongst them that ol: district quotas and that of reserved occupations, should be brought to an explicit determination. In the extent to which the voluntary system is genuinely in operation, there can be no question of bringing even veiled compulsion to bear upon individuals. The most that can be done, apart from emphasising the universal appeal to duty and conscience,.is to determine and indicate the groups and classes from which a flow of recruits may be expected.

One of the questions on which something should be heard at recruiting rallies like that to be held shortly in Masterton is the extent to which the recruiting appeal is addressed io married men. There is evidence of a fairly widespread belief that it is both undesirable ami unjust that the burden and sacrifice of military service should fall chiefly on youthful and unmarried men. On the other hand, married men usually, though not in every instance, have heavier family responsibilities than (hose who are single, and may involve their lamilies in a measure of hardship or deprivation it they enlist. Is it considered desirable that married men as well as single men should offer their services and are the present additional pay allowances and other assistance, offered to married recruits—for instance contributions, subject to individual eireumstanees, towards premiums on life insurance ol riot more than .£2O0 —- regarded as adequate from that standpoint These are questions, amongst others, on which something should be heard from’those who speak with authority in support of the national recruiting campaign. It should be recognised that, an important element bi the success of that campaign must bi* the readiness of those who cannot render military service to meet without demur the legitimate costs of placing and maintaining fighting forces in the field.