ARMY RECRUITING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23067, 18 June 1938, Page 19

ARMY RECRUITING

NEW PUBLICITY SYSTEM FIVE OFFICERS APPOINTED [by TELEGRAPH —OWN correspondent] CHRISTCHUJRCH, Friday A recruiting campaign in Christchurch recently by the Southern Depot, New Zealand Army Service Corps, for one wcekf increased the staff of ~ the depot by 25 per cent. This was an example cited by Captain R. E. Murray, publicity officer at Army Headquarters, Wellington, of the awakening of public interest throughout the Dominion in defence development. Captain Murray, who is visiting the South Island to make known the work that is being done to develop the defence of New Zealand, commented that in their efforts to gain publicity the defence authorities were receiving a considerable amount of assistance from the newspapers. Outlining the system of army publicity, Captain Murray said that on the recommendation of the Chief of the General Staff. Major-General J. E. Duigan, the Minister of Defence, the Hon. F. Jones, had approved of the appointment of a publicity officer .at Army Headquarters, and district publicity officers at Auckland,."Wellington, Christchurch and Dunodin. A conference of these officers had recently been held in Wellington, and complete plans were discussed ior the dissemination of army news and ipformation to the public. Every avenue of approach was_ to be adopted to acquaint the public with the latest information concerning developments in New Zealand. _ Subsequently, unit publicity officers would be appointed in each centre by the actual units themselves, and they would collaborate with the district publicity officers, who attended regular conferences with the army publicity officer and his branch of the General Staff in Wellington.