SHORTAGE IN TWENTIETHS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17264, 4 September 1916, Page 9

SHORTAGE IN TWENTIETHS.

COMPLETION' OF DRAFT POSTPONED, ,The military districts have not succeeded in covering their shortages for tho Twentieth Reinforcements. They were asked to send the additional men required to Featherston Camp by Wednesday of last week, but returns made available on Thursday showed that eacli of tho four districts had failed to comploto its quota. The net shortage of all arms for tho twentieth Reinforcements is now 225 men, including 194 infantry, and tho "Dominion" states that tho Defence authorities have decided to let this deficiency, stand for tho present. The military districts have been asked to add to their quotas for tiie Twenty-first Reinforcements the number of men short in this month's drn.'. 1. The total shortage, is made up a.s follows :

This makes a total of 218, to which has to be added a shortage of seven men for tho Twenty-second N.C.O.'s who went into camp with the Twentieth Reinforcements. Other reinforcements have had shortages at the time of mobilisation, but tho additional men required have al-way-i been taken into camp as quickly as "possible. Tho decision to let the present shortage stand until the mobilisation of the Twenty-first Reinforcements next mouth, _according to the " Dominion,'' is significant of the increased difficulty of securing recruits. Obviously there can be no certainty that- the next draft will be complete in itself, and thero is a. possibility that unless the districts make a special effort during the next few weeks, shortages .will become cumulative until the conscription law is brought into operation. It is admitted-that tho Government cannot secure any recruits under the compulsory clauses of tho Military Service Act until October at tho earliest, as much preliminary work has still to be done. Reports from various parts of tho country indicate that tho passing of the Military Service Act and the announcement that the Expeditionary Force Reservo is to bo enrolled at once, have had tho effect of checking voluntary enlistment. This result is particularly

marked in tho case of men who possess domestic or business responsibilities. Many men of this class responded to tho call for recruits prior to tne passing of the Act. They were prepared to mako heavy personal sacrifices at a timo when the maintenanco of the Reinforcements depended upon individual voluntary effort, but they feel entitled to wait their turn in the ordinary way now that conscription is the law of tho land. Apparently it is not generally understood throughout the country, in spito of the explicit statements of tho Recruiting Board, that the Defenco Department must continue to depend upon voluntary enlistment until the Act becomes fully operative a month or two hence. STATEMENT BY MINISTER. DRAFT WILL BE MADE UP TO STRENGTH. " Tho Twentieth draft will go away up to strength," said the Minister of Defence when his attention was drawn to the fact that thero was still a heavy shortage in this draft. "Wo havo no idea of sending this or any other draft away below strength. It has happened that we have been unable to soiid ;may tho full strength of a draft. Tho Sixteenth, for instance, did nob go at full strength, but timt was not because wo did not havo the men. We bad not accommodation for them in tho transports. If it ever happens that we have epooo for more than the full number in any transports wo will send them. We, aio doing all we can to send men away in the "required numbers, and we have no intention whatever of making the Twentieth Reinforcements a smaller draft than any of the others. The Twentieth draft will bo mado up to strength."

Othor Infantry. arms. Total Auckland . 31 C 40 Wellington i . 95 5 , 100 Canterbury ., 30 7 37 OUeo . "5 G ■11