HOME GUARD

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 283, 24 August 1940, Page 13

HOME GUARD

Offers Of Service Are Pouring In MEN OVER FORTY-SIX ELIGIBLE

The idea of the Home Guard had captured the public imagination and offers of service were pouring in, said the Minister of National Service, Mr. Semple, in a statement last night. Mr. Semple said that on his return to Wellington on Thursday his attention was called to editorial comment appearing in “The Dominion” of August 21 in connexion with his broadcast talk on Monday evening on the Home Guard. In the last paragraph of the editorial it was stated that no invitation had been extended to men over 46 years of age to join the Home Guard.

“I do not know how this idea can have been gained,” Mr. Semple said, “since in my broadcast talk and in all public utterances on the subject I have made it clear that all male subjects over 16 years of age who are reasonably fit may join the Home Guard, so long as they are not actively attached to any of the Defence Forces. “This, in fact, is one of the main features of the Government’s plan and has been emphasized in the announcements made both by the Prime Minister and myself. The Home Guard offers a great opportunity for every man to have an allotted job in an emergency, whether that emergency be enemy invasion or a natural disaster. Corroboration of the fact that the invitation is extended to all male persons over 16 years of age is given in the record taken of my broadcast talk.

Mr. Semple and his associate Minister, air. Wilson, are at present meeting local authorities through the Dominion and arranging the more important functions of these bodies in tlie scheme.