RESPONSE TO CALL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 190, 14 August 1939, Page 10

RESPONSE TO CALL.

16,000 TERRITORIALS.

RECRUITING PROGRESS.

MINISTER DELIGHTED.

"I am delighted to announce," said the Minister of Defence, the Hon. F. Jones, "that the Territorial Army has exceeded the strength of 16,000 which wag laid down as the peace establishment, on expansion from the previous strength of 0.100. Yet it is barely a month since tiie Army Recruiting Committee published throughout the Press of New Zealand the personal appeal from the Prime Minister and thereby launched an organised campaign. Such results in the time are most gratifying. May I congratulate the teams of willing helpers — regular staff, serving territorials, publicspirited men and women—who have worked so hard in every district from Kaitaia to Riverton, and done so well.

"Rut the task is not yet over. Certain provincial regiments, faced with a relatively large expansion, have not yet fully filled their ranks, although they have ■mule good progress and the numbers ti 11 required are not large. Moreover, cert pin towns which have been allotted regimental quotas have not yet completed their recruiting drives. I feel sure that more good men of the type we have already enrolled will come forward. particularly at the centres where they are required, and do their duty.

"There is another reason why recruiting will be continued while volnteers of such excellent type are coining forward. The strength of 1(1,(M)() includes 700 bandsmen in the various regiments who, while they perform most important and valuable duties and are a great asset to the Territorial Army, cannot legitimately be counted as fighting troops, although these men are trained in the duties of stretcher-bearers.

"In these troublous times it is essential that we have the complete organisation of lfi.O(H) combatant troops, and we are, therefore, continuing our enlistment campaign and will still accept every recruit who can measure up to the high standard now required.

Six Days Recruits' Course. "I cannot stress too often that voluntary recruiting for the Territorial Army is succeeding. Despite the gloomy prophecies of interested parties, nearly 5000 additional men between the ages of 18 and have responded to the Prime Minister's appeal. The majority of new recruits have attended, or are attending in the next few weeks, a six days recruit*.' course at one of the district -chool-i. They will then have carried out their elementary training and will I>e ready to carry on with more advanced training in the regiment.

"Territorial regiments have now officers. N.C.O.'s and men, together with adequate weapons and ammunition, ready for action. We have the organisation and the equipment. We have got the men —-good men —who measure up to a high standard physically and mentally. Officers and N.C.O.'s of the various units throughout Xew Zealand have a splendid opportunity and a most important duty to press on with training so that their platoons, troops and batteries, etc., will he as efficient as possible in the shortest possible time.

"The men are so keen to learn that units are having difficulty in coping with the additional out of camp training involved, but they are tackling the work in a great spirit, and excellent progress is being made. Could Hold Coast Defences.

"Some clitics say from time to time that our Territorials are untrained. That is untrue. The majority are not fully trained soldiers. Very few part-time soldiers ever could be. On the other hand, I doubt whether many regulars, ofliccrs or men, would consider themselves 'fully trail.ed' despite years of service and c.\|>erieiKe. Hut territorial

regiments have men sufficiently trained even now to light as they are'likely to fight here in Now Zealand.

1 hey could hold the coast defences against attack from thi* sea, or hold defiles against raiders trying to |>enotrate inland, or make aircraft attack against our vifal areas decidedly unpleasant for the attackers. Moreover, they would have good artillery support and plenty of motor transport with which to change front rapidly as the situation changed.

"I have every confidence that the expanded Icrritorial Force will progress just as quickly in fighting efficiency us it has in numbers."