CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 4846, 18 April 1918, Page 6

CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS.

SUPPLYING THE EXTRA MEN

RESERVISTS’ LEAVE REDUCED

By Telegraph—Special Correspondent. WELLINGTON, April 17.

"In the course of a diay or two an appeal will be made by the Defence Department ’ for more men by voluntary enlistment. The nien ar<s required to go into camp at once, or at any rate during the next month. Recruiting for members of the . B Class of Second Division has been closed, owing to the fact that a ballot of this class will shortly be gazetted. There is no official information to this effect, hut it is probable that-the men of this class will have to go without the three months’ notice after the date of medical examination that was promised' to them. The promise was made by the Minister that this period would be allowed, but when it was made the Minister -stated very carefully that this would be done only so long as it was possible to give the leave for this longer period. Probably it will be considered that this is such an occasion as the Minister ma-v have had in mind when lie made the reservation. In any case, there is almost a certainty that the B men, if they are not forced to go into camp with the earlier drafts, will at any rate be asked to forego their long leave after their medical examina:tion. The number of men that will be required wil] be in the neighborhood of 2500 additional in the next three months. One of the points that have not yet been made clear is thar the Tank battalion which is to he formed is to be a new body recruited here. It will he formed in the meantime out of accumulated reinforcements in England, but- New Zealand, is to supply the 700 men reqiiired to make good the gap that will be made in the accumulations by the formation of this unit.

There have been hints that the number of men to he sent might be limited by the capacity and number of the ships that would, be 'available to carry them, but it may now be said that this difficulty has been got over. The authorities are satisfied that they will be able to move all the men that they can get. and they will probably be prepared to take all the men they can get.