NATIONAL REGISTER.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 102, 3 May 1939, Page 11

NATIONAL REGISTER.

Compulsory Measure In South Africa. NEEDED EVEN IF NEUTRAL. (Received 12 noon.) CAPETOWN, May 2. The Minister of Defence, Mr. O. Pirow, announcing a compulsory national register, said that even if South Africa was neutral, coastal defences, the air force and anti-eubmarine defences must be mobilised. Economic mobilisation would also be necessary. Petrol, oil and other commodities would be rationed, eo that profiteering would be j>revented. On April 14 the South African Defence Department stated that the registration of Class A citizen force reservists was proceeding. This was the first step to a more comprehensive registration scheme, features of which are the extension of the compulsory registration to all citizens below the age of 45, the compilation of a national reserve of all between 17 and 60, and the recording of all whose normal occupations are regarded ae "war time" key positions. 84,000 RECRUITS. Big Addition To Territorial Army In April. 46,614 JOINED LAST WEEK. (Received 12.30 p.m.) LOXDOX, May 2. Last week 46,014 recruited for the territorials. Recruits in April numbered 84,000. Twenty-four units had been completed for the second line and 240 completed for the first line at war strength. The announcement of the new measures for military training has had an immediate effect on recruiting for other services, and the daily average of inquiries at the Air Ministry's information bureau last week was 2500, savs a British official wireless message. Royal Air Force recruits for the week ended April 20 totalled 1031, compared with 329 in the corresponding week of last year.