APPEAL FOR MEN

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVIII, Issue 21556, 19 January 1940, Page 8

APPEAL FOR MEN

Recruiting Committee Appointed Parade At Caroline Bay Arranged Several Functions Suggested With a view to stimulating recruiting for the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, a largely attended meeting of citizens, convened by the Mayor, Mr W. G. Tweedy, in the Borough Council Chambers last night, was constituted as the Timaru Recruiting Committee, and it was decided to hold a rally at Caroline Bay on the evening of Saturday, January 27 which will be preceded by a parade from the Drill Hall including the 16th Battery, complete with guns and mechanised transport, which will break the journey from Christchurch to Sutton (Otago), at Timaru. The Timaru Municipal Band, the Timaru Highland Pipe Band, the Timaru Harmonica Band, members of the A and B Companies of the National Reserve. the Returned Soldiers’ Association, South African War Veterans, Territorials and nurses will take part. After a display by the 16th Battery addresses will be given at the Sound Shell when it is hoped that a Minister of the Crown will be present. In the absence of a Minister, addresses will be given by the Rev. Clyde Carr. M.P.. Member for Timaru, a speaker from Christchurch, and the Mayor of Timaru. Outlining the purpose of the meeting, Mr Tweedy said that its object was to stimulate recruiting so that South Canterbury’s quota for the Second Echelon of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force would be secured. During the Great War Germany had been surprised to find that even' part of the Empire had rallied to Britain’s help in her hour of need, and on a second occasion Germany had been further disagreeably surprised to find that the Empire had once again rallied to the call. It had been very pleasing that New Zealand had been one of the first of the Dominions to place her resources at the disposal of the Empire. Personally, he felt that the war would be a long and severe one, although he would like to feel, with others, that it would not be of long duration. They were fighting a highly equipped and capable foe, and it would require all that they could put into the struggle to ensure the final victory. Honouring a Pledge New Zealand had pledged itself to help the Empire, continued Mr Tweedy, and they had to honour the i pledge. Already the Dominion had | made certain contributions and New Zealanders were serving in the Air i Force and in the Navy. Referring to j South Canterbury Mr Tweedv men- I tioned that it had despatched its 1 quota for the First Echelon of the Second Expeditionary Force and the Defence Department had been very satisfied at the response to the appeal for recruits. However, latterly there had been a considerable fall in the number of recruits and at the present time South Canterbury was short of its quota. Apparently there was a lack of interest in this particular matter. Mr Tweedy expressed pleasure at the large attendance at the meeting and hoped that their efforts would achieve good results. Timaru had always responded to any appeal and he would like to feel that in this urgent matter the town would retain I its reputation. Question of Compulsion “It has been said,” continued Mr j Tweedy, “that a different policy should I be introduced by the Government, I and by that I mean compulsion. My I own views on the subject are sufficient- I ly well known, but at the same time j I do feel that we have a certain duty to support the Government in the j measure which it feels should be : adopted. Before the voluntary system j is finally condemned we should see if it attains the desired objective. If it | Is found that it does not produce the men, it will be necessary for us to put aside our personal views and make a change. In the meantime, however, it will be necessary for us to put aside our personal views and co-operate in recruiting. Up to the present no action has been taken in Timaru, but 1 a number of meetings have been held in Christchurch.” Mr Tweedy mentioned that if a recruiting committee were appointed he felt he could rely on the co-operation of the Returned Soldiers’ Association, the National Reserve, and the local officers of the I Defence Department. Number of Recruits Mr Tweedy said that the total of South Canterbury recruits on Wednesday was 508, and of that number ' Timaru had contributed 254 men I as fit, Waimate 39, Fairlie 32, Temuka 55, Geraldine 45 and other smaller country centres 83. The actual number fell short of the total required for the Second Echelon. Sergeant-Major A. Mathieson, of the New Zealand Permanent Staff, said that since recruiting for the Second Echelon had been commenced on December 1, there had been 101 enlistments at Timaru. Since that date I there had been three sittings of the . Medical Board which had passed 69 men as fit and 31 men were rejected | as unfit. This meant that they had to find another 31 men to replace those who were unfit. According to the wastage experienced among the men of the First Echelon they would | require 150 fit men to secure the ' requisite number of men for the I Second Echelon. Canterbury had produced 1200 men of whom 804 were passed as fit. The wastage was due to men breaking up under camp conditions and the withdrawal of men in reserved occupations, such as farmers, shepherds, musterers, freezing works butchers, etc. There had also been a fairly large number of men who had given false ages on enlisting. The men in camp had been asked to produce their Social Security coupon books, and, as men who were under 21 years did not possess them, they were speedily located and returned to civilian life. There had also been a large number of older men in the First Echelon, but enlistments were now restricted to those between 21 and 35 years. In the Second Echelon this wastage due to men below and above the specified ages would not occur. Another cause of wastage had been the fact that married men with more than two children had also been returned to civilian life. Returned Soldiers’ Support Mr A. M. Parker, president of the South Canterbury Returned Soldiers’ Association, explained that although he was not speaking officially, he could assure the meeting that the members of his Association would do everything possible to assist recruiting in spite of ; the fact that the volunteer system I was contrary to the objective of the | Association. The Returned Soldiers’ I

Association throughout the Dominion had made repeated representations to the Government for a considerable period urging the Minister of Defence to adopt conscription. Though not unanimous, the rank-and-file members of the Association were largely in sympathy with that view. Continuing, Mr Parker said that they had promised to look after the welfare of those who had enlisted, not only when they were away but when they were in the field, and they could only do that by seeing that the strength of the New Zealand Division was maintained. Committee Appointed In moving that a committee consisting of those present be set up to take such steps as were thought necessary to stimulate recruiting. Mr A. E. Lawrence remarked that as he was above military age he was rather diffident in proposing the resolution. However, as Mr Parker had mentioned, they had to keep their moral promise to maintain the units of the New Zealand Division at full strength. Mr T A. Christie, who seconded the motion, said that it was a difficult matter to decide for young men what action they should take. It w r as for a man’s own conscience to decide whether his first duty was to his wife and children, or whether his duty to the State came first. It was the duty of the country itself to decide when service to the country came first. As citizens it was their duty to make an effort to produce the men under the system which the Government had decided to carry out. The motion was carried unanimously and the following committee was appointed: The Mayor <Mr W. G. Tweedy), Sergeant-Major A. Mathieson, Messrs A. M. Parker, J. J. Duncan, R. V. Kennedy, J. Scott, P. Ruston, W. M. Hocking. T. A. Christie. C. T. Ballantyne, A. E. Lawrence, B. Gillies, E. D. Mcßae, B. C. Wilson. R. Seatter, C. W. Smith, W. Richards. D. F. HUI. G. J. Walker, S. Shears, J. A. Norrie, J. H. Sinclair-Thomson and A. W. Saunders. Mr Tweedy was elected chairman, Mr Lawrence deputy-chairman and Mr Saunders secretary, and, with Messrs Duncan and Walker, they were elected as an executive committee. Various methods of stimulating recruiting were then discussed, and it was decided to hold a parade and rally as indicated in the introductory paragraph. It was further decided that on the evening of Friday, February 2, a demonstration should be held at the corner of Church and Strathallan Streets when short addresses would be given, and to hold another function, including a concert programme, at Caroline Bay on Saturday evening, February 10.