THE CALL FOR MEN.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume V, Issue 1309, 24 April 1918, Page 4

THE CALL FOR MEN.

INCREASED DRAFTS. SPEEDING-UT ORDERED. EECRUITS WANTED AT ONCE. [Special to The Sun/J WELLINGTON, April 23. The recruiting authorities wish to secure at least 500 volunteers for the 42nd Reinforcement, mobilising in the period May 21-25, and officers commanding districts have been asked to take steps to accelerate recruiting among 19 and 20-year-old youths and reservists of Classes B. C/and D of the Second Division. Volunteers are required also for the 41st Reinforcement, mobilising next week. The arrangements already made will provide the ordinary drafts. The volunteers are extra men, to meet the request made by the Imperial authorities for increased reinforcements during the period of stress on the West front.

Class B men drawn in this week's |ballot are to be inviled to forgo jtheir privilege of twelve week's leave between medical examination and mobilisation in order that they may enter camp with the 42nd Reinforcement, but no compulsion is proposed in this respect. The authorities i hope that men who are able to accept advanced dates of mobilisation I will do so in order that the strength of reinforcements dispatched from New Zealand within the next few • months may be as great as possible. "It has become necessarv to increase the strength of the drafts, not specifically to any particular numjber, but to enable us to dispatch every possible man that the ships jean carry," states a recruiting memlorandum issued to district co.nman;ders. "To achieve this object, it is jneccssary to accelerate the dispatch lto camp of men who have already jbeen given later dates. It is realised that very considerable inconvenience will be caused to many men by reason of the chopping and changing of dates, and the consequent uncertainty in which they are placed. This, however, unfortunately cannot be avoided in the present crisis, land our great effort must be to R«i the men into camp before May 25." jThe district commanders are injstrucled to take every step they can to deal with defaulters and to ensure complete mobilisation. The memorandum contains instructions that every effort must be made to get into camp with the least possible delay all men passed fit for service who have not appealed or whose appeals have been dismissed. Chairmen of Military Service Boards are being requested to rehear the cases of men whose appeals have been dismissed, but who have been granted periods of exemption expir|ing after May 25. All non-appellants, ivolunteers and balloted men at present under orders for the 43rd Reinforcement, or any later draft, are to be transferred to the 42nd Reinforcement, with the exception of volunteers belonging to Class B of the Second Division. The Class B men will be transferred only if they exI press a desire to enter camp with the 12nd draft.

"It must be understood," adds the memorandum, "that there is practically no limit to the number of volunteers that the department will accept for the 41st and 42nd draft." The 41st and 42nd drafts are now open to voluntary recruiting. All diafts subsequent to the 42nd are closed to recruiting excepting in the cases "of balloted Class B men of the Second Division, who in accordance with the statement of the Minister of Defence must receive twelve weeks' notice between medical examination and entry into camp, in order to arrange their private affairs. District attesting officers are instructed to impress upon Class B balloted men the desirability of forgoing the full period of leave and entering camp with the 42nd draft in May, but no form of compulsion is to be used.