ENLISTMENT AGE RAISED

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 84, Issue 85, 12 April 1940, Page 6

ENLISTMENT AGE RAISED

UP TO FORTY NOW STATEMENT BY MINISTER [ Per Press Association I WELLINGTON, April 11. The Government was now prepared to advance the age for enlistment to 40, announced the Minister of Defence, at the National Recruiting Council meeting in Wellington to-day. Mr. Jones said men up to this age would be accepted in accordance with their position and responsibilities—single men first, married men without children, and so on. The age limit in the Great War was 19 to 45, but In : the present conflict a start was made at 21 to 35, which was the Territorial limit. Officers, non-commissioned officers and privates of technical, or officers and privates of technical or other ability, who were key men, had been taken above the age of 35. Il had been suggested the age should be extended to 45. but. the Government was not prepared to go this far. It had i been decided that if the advancing of the age limit was left 100 long there might be too many of the older age group in later units, and it was felt, that to advance the age now to 40 would allow of an even distribution of the older men among the young. A small unit was being formed of older men now engaged on coastal defence, and lhese would be replaced with men under 21.