RECRUITING IN IRELAND

New Zealand Tablet, 6 April 1916, Page 17

RECRUITING IN IRELAND

THE LORD LIEUTENANT’S REPORT. i, ■ Lord Wim.borne’s report on recruiting in Ireland was issued on January 31. His Excellency says:The present time seems opportune for a survey of the contribution by Ireland to the Armed Forces of the Crown, and a statement of the machinery y by which it is hoped the flow of recruits to the colors will be maintained during the continuance of the present war. On August !, 1913, there were serving in ■ the Aymy 20,780 Irishmen—on the outbreak of-the war 17,804 Reservists and 12,462 Special Reservists rejoined, making a total on mobilisation of 51,046 men. .... Subsequently three new; divisions— the 10th, the 36th, and the 16th, —consisting of 12 | battalions .each, were organised, making with the original 16 Irish battalions of the Regular Forces a total of 52,battalions. Simultaneously the Reserve brigades were expanded or called into existence for the purpose ' of feeding divisions at the front and making good the waste of war. On October 9, 1915, the total ; number of enlistments since the outbreak of war amounted to* 75,293, . giving a grand total of 126, 339-of pre and post war enlistments. In the same month the War Office indicated that _The Primary .Task for Ireland >. was the maintenance at war strength of .these*, 52 battalions. An examination of twelve months’ experience

revealed, the fact that the t call for drafts I from units at the * front amounted in .the aggregate to 100 per cent, per annum. Allowing a margin for contingencies, an average weekly supply of 1100 recruits was required to maintain the reserves *at an, adequate level, The monthly averages of recruits, which, in the- spring .of 1.91.5 exceeded these figures,; had in" the autumn fallen far below it. A further effort was needed to restore the situation. Activities were started von ; the 30th October on the issue of a general postal /appeal. Opportunity was afforded to recruits to specify the. regiments, and divisions which they preferred to join. About 60 per cent, of ■ the recruits availed {themselves of this privilege. Since the commencement of the campaign to December 18, 1915, 7,444 recruits were enlisted.. Thus - , In Seven Weeks a. Weekly Average of 1063 Was Obtained. ■ It is certain. that the holiday season and the temporary dislocation caused by the introduction of the Military Service Bill have had an adverse effect from which there are already signs of a definite recovery. That there is still a large reservoir, of men cannot be doubted. It is estimated that on August 15, 1915, there were in Ireland 416,409 unmarried males of military age—these 252,000 were engaged in the agricultural industry. , Allowing for subsequent enlistments and rejections there should still be about.4oo,ooo unattested single males of military age, but this number is subject to the usual deductions for men who are indispensable for agriculture and commerce, production of munitions, transport, service, , etc., . and,, also for men who will be found to be medically unfit. It would be surprising if, after all these deductions were made, the Balance of Men Available -Exceeded 100,000. Regard must be had to the fact that agriculture is a public service, and that farmers are exhorted to increase the area under tillage, and, further, that the majority of farms are under 15 acres in area. . The physical difficulties of making an impression on a scattered population of conservative tendencies still' prevail, but signs are not wanting that the farming class are awakening to their responsibilities in this direction, and the formation of farmers’ battalions has come within the sphere of practical realisation. The number of recruits raised in Ireland in, the period from August 2, 1914, to the Bth instant inclusive, is 86,277 ; of these 10,984 were raised between October 10, 1915, and Bth instant inclusive. , The distribution of recruits to both the Army and Navy up to December 15 into the four provinces is estimated by the police stobe as follows : Ulster, 49,760; Leinster, 27,458; Munster, 14,190; and Connaught, 3589. Regard must be paid, however, to the fact that 73.9 per cent, of the adult male population of Connaught is engaged in agriculture. The similar percentages in the other provinces are, respectively Munster, 51.3; Leinster, 37.4; and Ulster, 46.5 per cent. The general disinclination of the farming class to which allusion has been made to join the colors is not specially characteristic of one province more than another, and adversely affects the provincial quota in proportion to these percentages. At the commencement of the period under review 510.0 sailors recruited in Ireland were serving in the Navy. Since August, 1914, a.■ further 3446 ■ have joined.; -. Taking the two services together a total of 145,869 is reached. No account can here be taken of Irishmen recruited in Great' Britain v and serving in British or Scotch regiments, and the’ conclusion submitted concerns ; the insular" contributions only. ■ > ‘ / - ' •