RECRUITING WEEK

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 181, 2 August 1941, Page 8

RECRUITING WEEK

BIG SYDNEY EFFORT TRIAL BLACKOUT SHORTLY (0.C.) SYDNEY, July 26. This has been Recruiting Week in Sydney. Sandbag enlistment posts, smokescreens and aerial bombs, and searchlight and anti-aircraft and anti-tank displays have added realism to the daily rallies in Martin Place and Hyde Park. Enlistment posts have been open daily till midnight, and every day and evening bands have played martial airs. Brilliantly lit trams have run around the city with a stentorian voice appealing to j'oung Australia to "put the I in the A.1.F.." and all the big stores have had special displays. In fact, no talkie could have been better put over. The result for the week was 1447 enlistments.

The drive ended on Fridav with a torchlight march by 300 Diggers of the last war, and the same number of militiamen who have joined the A.1.F., in which the old Diggers handed on the torch to their successors. And the retiring DirectorGeneral of Recruiting, Major-General Lloyd, was seen and heard leading the community singing of "Mademoiselle From Armentieres." In some quarters objection was taken to all this 'ballyhoo' , in 3 recruiting drive. There was Major tx. D. Mitchell, who was several times wounded in the last war, and won the M.C. and D.C.M. After a recruiting speech, he said: "This is my second and last appearance on a recruiting platform. If girls in scanty costumes have got to come here to perform in order to induce young men to join the Army, it is quite time for me to shut up. and I now do so." White Feather Mail. Major Mitchell, who is the State member for Oxley, is reported to have received several white feathers by mail—the only disclosed case of this silly and insulting practice. One came with a note, "From a mother to a coldfoot." The fact is that the major has apparently tried several times to serve in this war. too but is a year over age. He is serving with a unit in Australia. In the last war he was in the Galhpoh landing, was blown up by a mine at Hill 60 in France, and buried several times by explosions. He won his D.C.M. at Bullecourt. in 1917, for holding off attacks with a 1 Lewis gun, and his M.C. for (singlehanded) capturing 30 Germans at Albert. Big Blackout Trial. August 17 is the date fixed for the second largest blackout in the Empire—the trial blackout of the whole of the Sj'dney metropolitan area with its 1,300,000 or more people. Last week-end's blackout was of special importance, because it included the Newcastle industrial area. It was found that the furnaces emitted a glow even when production was stopped, but to get over this will be extremely expensive—so much so that in England the Government shares the costs with works concerned. It was also discovered that the lights of Sydney were visible from the air for some 70 miles, and. that observers in a 'plane above Cronulla could see glowing steel being handled in works at Port Kembla.

The State Government has asked the Commonwealth for £1.000 000 for TZzT'i JV s # a lar £ e sum - but lne coastal belt from Port Kembla to Newcastle includes the industrial heart of Australia which, if it ceased to beat, would paralyse the country's defence.

As fire precautions it is proposed to organise a system of portable canvas dams into which if the citv water system were damaged sea w r a i? r . would be pumped at the rate of <o0 gallons a minute. Fire engines would use the water up at the Same rate in fighting fires. The scheme requires another 75 fire engines, and £285 000 ° OSt fS estimatC(i at