NATIONAL REGISTER

Evening Star, Issue 16078, 1 April 1916, Page 9

NATIONAL REGISTER

TO BE USED FOR ROLL COM-PH/A-

Tim

[Special to the ‘ Star.’]

WELLINGTON, March 31. Misapprehensions seem to exist in some quarters regarding the scope of the pledge of secrecy given by the Government in, connection with the National Register. vVhetx men of military age throughout New Zealand were asked to give particulars regarding their age. stale of' health, and dependents, and to state whether or not they were willing to serve their country during the present war, the Government announced that information so obtained would he regarded as confidential. hut the promise was never intended to imply, and oould not reasonably be so interpreted, that Ministers would he_ at liberty to make the register the basis of a scheme of National Service, The point arises in connection with the Conscription Bill that certainly will he placed before Parliament during the approaching session, The recruiting scheme provides for the preparation of now and thoroughly reliable foils of anon of mill* tary age by means of personal canvass, and some of the recruiting districts will produce these rolls, but in other districts —Wellington and Auckland, for example—a canvass is not being undertaken at all, and m those cases the Government certainly "will have to fall hack upoii the nominal rolls which have been prepared already from the National Register. These rolls admittedly are not complete oi entirely reliable, but they will furnish, an excellent_ basis for further operations. There will be no breach of confidence, since the personal information contained in the National Register forms will not be made public. Answers made by individuals to questions as to willingness to serve will not colint in the matter at all, and will remain buried in the register. The Government will simply use tho Dregiste_r to make lists of men of military age with their addresses and condition as to ago and dependents. The Prime Minister referred to this matter to-day. _ In answer to a question, tv' 1 ' , s ald: “There is nothing in the pledge of secrecy given bv the Government to prevent us using tlie National Register to classify the men of tin's country. The authorities will not divulge the answers given by any man to particular questions, but they are within the letter and spirit of the pledge in using the register to assign him to liia proper classification in the manhood of the nation. I still hope that the general adoption of the Government’s recruiting scheme will give us better rolls than can be compiled from the National Register.’’ The point illustrates the very great importance of personal canvass.