MILITARY SERVICE.

North Otago Times, Volume CIV, Issue 13797, 6 February 1917, Page 4

MILITARY SERVICE.

RECRUITS FOR NEXT REINFORCE MENTS. STATEMENT BY RECRUITING BOARD. . ** Wffir I ' RECRUITS; ' (By Telegraph.) ? WELLINGTON, February 5. The Hon. James Allen (Chairman of the Recruiting Board) has issued the following statement:— ' • '.'Recruiting for the Twenty-seventh arid . Twenty-eighth . Reinforcements closed on Saturday, and ; a: ballot 1 is now proceeding to make good the short- . age. '■ "The total number of voluntary enlistments' for the Twenty-seventh draft was 1251, and for the Twenty-eighth draft 766, leaving a respective shortage of 922 and 1367, for the two reinforcements, The total number, required to be balloted for, in order to allow the usual margin for exemptions and medical unfitness is G867,' • "It is expected that the, Gazette' containing the list of reservists on whom the lot hns fallen, will be published at the beginning of next- week, and as announced previously the medical examination of all men so called up for service will be commenced" forthwith. "I wish the men who are passed as unfit for active service to clearly understand that there-is 110 need for them to appeal, 6r if they have already sent in an appeal, that there is no need for them to pursue the appeal. They' should at once withdraw their appeal, and thus save their own time as well as that of the Military Service Boards. •■: •A man who is' passed as unfit will be r{ transferred to the home section of the Expeditionary Force, and will be given indefinite leave without pay. Which means that he willbe in a position to continue his ordinary civil life. If.at any time men are wanted for home service, a call will be made,for.volunteers from those who have been passed as . unfit. I think this explanation is neees- .' sary, as many men seem to be: under the impression that though unfit for active service. their transfer to home service means that tliey are to bo lield by 1 the Defence authorities for service in hew,. Zealand, That is not the intention at present, because it is anticipate^,' that all: the unfit' men' who are wantetf 4^ ; for service in the camps and forts and 1 ; defence service in the Dominion, will be readily obtainable by voluntary enlistments. If at any time it should be- : . come necessary to campulsorily call Up (/•;. the men who are passed' as unfit, in order {p .use .them for home service'in the Dominion, the same right, of appeal . wilj be extended to them as is now given to the men who are passed'as fit for active service with the Expeditionary Force "I also wish to repeat that the deI cision to ballot, for the shortages in i two reinforcements this month is solely | due to.'.the fact that more> is reI quired between the date of th& ballot & and the time when the men are due in camp to commence training, in which to medically mmine the men, and heir 'appeals, etc. At the present time only a month -has been allowed for these things but by the alterations now mdde 'two months will be available.