THE REINFORCEMENTS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2966, 3 January 1917, Page 6

T HE REINFORCEMENTS

; ; ;■ ■ —~.»..;.,-•,..■■; EXTENSIVE MOBILISATION BEGINNING ' ■.■■'•-,. ■■■'■. ' -'■'- v '■ • ■■'• '■ 5000 RECRUITS ENTERING CAMP The mobilisation of the Twenty-fourtii lliihiioreements "v\-11l begin to-day. The : ruL-riiits i'roni the Wellington Military IJistrkb will enter, cainp to-day; and liiej- will be followed by tho Auckland men tb-morroiv, andMhe Canterbury , .iiict Otago drafts on subsequent' days. 'Hie mobilisation should be completed by Saturday. Thqn on Monday next lie Twenty-fourth'infantry w;ll proceed from Trentham Camp to Feathorston, in-order to make room for tho 'lVianiyiifth CBeinforfeonients,, which will be , Mobilised next -week. . . . i .'Thepostponoment oE ike mobilisation oE the December draft until this .week has brought the two reinforcements very close together,. with the residt that inqro than 50' JO recruits ivill enter the-training, camps within a, period of ten or eleven days. The. strain upon ihe camp organisation will he a fairly '•'■: severe one, since all these men, will have; to be. clothed, equipped, _ and drafted -to units, but an experienced htaff is available, and no hitch is likely W; occur. Tho officers and non-commis-sio.'ied officers of the two drafts aro ready to receive their men. .Among tho men who are being, summoned to mobilise-this iveek and next neck are a few balloted reservists who have, not yet reported themselves to the '.military authorities or made any acknowledgment of tho notices sent to I hem. The. icturnsr from the, camps will show whether.or not these men intend to -wait? for actual compulsion. Proliiibly it will be found .that some of .them are not within reach or are not liable for service, hut the discovery of n small margin of real resistors, is certain. , The' reservists forming this margin wero threatened with- arrest ■when they failed to present themselves lor medical examination, biit no active ■.steps have , been taken by the Defence Department yet to bring them to book.