DOING HER BIT

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9631, 11 April 1917, Page 6

DOING HER BIT

CANADA’S RECRUITS. 8000 RAISED IN JANUARY. In connection with the raising of the 500,000 men promised by tho Premier of Canada, Sir Robert Borden, the Toronto correspondent of the "New York Times” supplies the following information on February 11th: “It is officially announced that in January the enlistments throughout the ‘Dominion aggregated just over 8000, or 2000 more than for the month of December, when there was some anxiety over the decline in the enrolment. Many methods of raising oversea battalions have been adopted, though all have been approved by the Federal Goveminent, which has complete control of military affairs in Canada. On the whole, it may be said that the militia regiments, and particularly those in the urban districts, have been the most successful recruiting agencies, although some of the best of the rural regiments have done exceedingly well. Most of the latter regiments are now almost non-existent, as the majority of their able-bodied members have gone to the front, and the scattered population of their district areas does not give a chance for the ready organisation of new units to keep the parent regiments up to their strength. In the urban centres it has been the aim of the regiments to keep up to strength, even though many in their ranks are too young, or too old, for active service, or bave been rejected for slight physical defects. It has been found, _ however, that a number of men who join with the idea of serving for home defence only eventually enlist in the oversea units, as do others who join a militia regiment first in order to learn the rudiments of military drill and routine. Some of the militia regiments have raised from two to four oversea battalions, but only in a very few cases have these been allowed to bear the regimental name. or any . other distinctive name. The 43th Highlanders (Toronto), the Toronto Regiment. and the Irish-Canawian Rangers (Montreal) are three of the specially named battalions. Various organisations, sporting and other, have done good work in raising battalions and in providing funds beyond tho set allowance granted by the Government. Popular men, politioians some of them, have also had remarkable success in raising battalions. Some moil, who because of ago or physical disability are not able to go to the front, have nevertheless made records as recruiters- Street recruiting in the towns and cities, backed up by meetings of an attractive character in churches, halls and theatres, especially on Sundays have all played their part in getting men for the army, and lately for the navy as well. No donht there j has been a good deal of overlapping, but recruits are still coming. No man oan hold rank as an officer in the Canadian army if he has not qualified. If he wins promotion for bravery on the field —and many privates and officers have done that —he is expected to qualify for his new rank, and opportunity is given him to do eo. But officers who have not qualified cannot now get into active service. AU appointments of nou-qualified men are provisional. A man desirous of becoming nn infantry lieutenant must take a six-weeks’ course—and it. »« a hard one —at one of the instruction schools in his military district. If bo fails in the written and practical examination at the end of his course he may get a chance to try again where there is a vacancy in the school, and if he fails again he gets out of the fores or enlists as a private. For higher ranks qanlification must be taken, and every course is a stiff one. There are also special courses which the keener officers like to take to fit themselves as bombers, machine gun, drill, or trench experts, etc. Experienced officers have been ’brought back from the fighting fronts to give instruction in these specialities. For artillery officers a course of eight to ten weeks is required. After an tffi, oer has qualified he trains in. camp in Canada with his battalion for periods varying from six to nine months. A further- period of training follows in England, ind here the officer must again show that he is 'up iq his job’ before he passes to Prance with his own battalion or a battalion to which ho may be transferred/’