APPEAL TO SINGLE YOUNG MEN

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 164, 6 April 1940, Page 10

APPEAL TO SINGLE YOUNG MEN

Army’s Need Of Recruits

RESPONSIBILITY TO JOIN UP NOW

An appeal to the single young men of the district to enlist was made yesterday by the officer commanding the Central Military District, Colonel R. A. Row, D.S.O. Colonel Row said men were still wanted to fill the district quota for the Third Echelon and it was far from a good recruiting influence when hundreds of unmarried men, without responsibilities, were lagging behind so many married men of the right spirit in their desire to serve their country and Empire. There was no escaping the fact that many young married men wanted to enlist, but were restrained by the daily evidence before their eyes of single men who were in an infinitely better immediate position to volunteer and yet did<not do so. He was particularly struck on the occasion of the recent public parade of officers and men of H.M.S. Achilles with the hundreds of young men who were watching this procession, some taking part in the general flag-waving. It was a fair assumption that many of these young men were unmarried and, in their case, exceptional circumstances allowed for, there appeared no justifiable reason why their patriotism should not take a more practical form than that of- applauding the brave deeds of fellow New Zealanders of H.M.S. Achilles.

In years to come some of those now hesitant spirits would better realize what an honour it would have been to serve in the First Division of the Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force to go overseas. One had only to consider now how proud returned soldiers of the Great War were to have been in the Main Body of the First N.Z.E.F. Such an honour in this conflict was now there for the taking by any young man who offered himself and was accepted as lit for service. Country Areas’ Response. The country areas of the Central Military District had, in the main, responded magnificently and on a far more generous basis, taking into account relative populations,. than the area which embraced the city of Wellington and environs. This fine answer in a time of emergency was made all the more creditable by the fact that in country districts the proportion of reserved occupations was far higher than in the city. The country districts had also the dual responsibility of sending recruits abroad and maintaining primary production at home. Colonel Row said that he could assure any prospective recruit that the military camps were now as comfortable as it was possible to make them. They lacked no modern amenity. The young man who had been used to roughing It, perhaps in some up-country job, would find camp life more comfortable than his civilian conditions, while those who came from their own good homes in the cities an'd towns would be sacrificing little, if anything at ail, in the way of comfort. In physique and in spirit, the camps bred manliness and no soldier he had met had any regret about joining up.

Unceasing Stream Required.

It was not sufficient to fill the third echelon. This was only the start of the effort. Men would be required in an uncasing stream to keep tlie establishment overseas at full strength. At present single men could best give expression to the spirit of voluntary service by enlisting in their turn, which was first- When they had done their part those next in turn would have no excuse for not coming forward. As the position was now it could well be said that every bachelor of military age who held back retarded the recruiting effort by his example to others of his acquaintance. Recruiting was now spasmodic; a matter of succeeding ripples and waves, where a steady inflow was so greatly needed. The district quota for the third echelon was in sight and he had every reason to believe the full number would be available when the time arrived to post this echelon to the camps. But, as he had stressed before, the filling of this echelon was only a milestone on a long road. Great Britain and France were taking advantage of the present lack of military activity f o build up their army strength for the time of testing; the same had also to be done in New Zealand.