FILL THE GAPS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2833, 26 July 1916, Page 8

FILL THE GAPS

STATEMENT KY RECRUITING BOARD. The . registration for the Nineteenth Reinforcements, which mobilises for training this week, show a Dominion excess of 1)8 oyer normal requirements. Tho official figures of the enlistments for the infantry, all other arms of the service being full, as at date of Friday last are as follows:— , Auckland military district, an excess of 1. Wellington military district, an excess of 75. Canterbury military district, an excess of 32. Ota go military district, a shortage of' 10. Or a total Dominion excess of 98. At the same date 1158 infantry had registered for the Twentieth Reinforcements, which is due to mobilise for training at the end of August. As the normal requirements for infantry for each four weekly draft is 181G men, the present registration for the Twentieth leave a shortage of 658 men t-> be found in the. coming month. ' "The Anzac troops are now taking a glorious part in the stirring deeds of the present great Western offensive," state's the •chairman of the Recruiting Board (Right Hon. W. F. Masscy), "and it is not necessary for me to remind every fit and eligible man in the Dominion of the urgent call that daily comes from his comrades and fellow citizens in France to step forward and fill gaps in the ranks. We Tead that the Germans are wondering how great are .the English reserves, because they know that the continuance of dur offensive will depend on our reserve strength. Let the military manhood of this Dominion by, keeping up a steady flow of reinforcements demonstrate to the enemy that our reserve force is sufficient to continue the offensive until a definite victory is achieved. It will be a truly glorious achievement if we tan maintain our flow of recruits by voluntary enlistment. But maintained they must be, whether by the voluntary principle or by bringing into- force the compulsory'powers contained in the Military Service Act."