MORE RECRUITS WANTED.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 66, 17 March 1916, Page 5

MORE RECRUITS WANTED.

APPEAL TO MABRXED MEN. ' • '■ i (Times and Sydney Son Services.) ' - < (Received 8.30-a.m.) ) LONDON, March 16. The Government has postponed the * calling up of married men between the ' ages of 27 and 35. It had been intended ' to issue the notice* this week. J In the House of Lords the Earl of ' Derby, Director of Recruiting, said lie ' intended to remain at the War Office ' as long as he could assist Earl Kitchener. Air. Asquith's pledge, whicft was the : foundation of the recruiting scheme, contemplated some exceptions to the rule that unmarried men should serve first, ' jut he himself viewed with great anxiety j : the large numbers of exempted oecupa-! tions. The authorities were now reviewing the lists of munition workers and others recently entering exempted occupations. The Cabinet was taking the matter so seriously, that he thought they would get the number of unmarried men required. The Germans would not wait while Britain was putting her house in order. He hoped when he spoke last November to get sufficient young men without putting married men in the field, but that was not a pledge that jnarrjed men would never be called on to fight. He considered that every man ought to do something for his country. Earl Kitchener said he regretted that during the month his fears had been realised that the original, estimate of numbers required would be exceeded. The deficiency of March showed that it was - necessary to call up more groups earlier than was hoped. He endorsed all the Earl of Derby had said. He' had not any'doubt that single men avoiding military service would be brought in, but it woiild take time. In the meantime the War Office needed trained men. He hoped that any appeal made to married men would not fall on deaf ears. Attested married men should place patriotism and the national cause before everything. - ■..-.-..-