Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Præevalebit. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1916. STRONG MEASURES NEEDED.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXVI, Issue 3565, 27 September 1916, Page 4

Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Præevalebit. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1916. STRONG MEASURES NEEDED.

There is good reason to fear that New Zealand will make serious default in her obligations to the Imperial authorities with regard to future reinforcement drafts unless some galvanising influence is brought to bear upon the present system of enlistment. There is general agreement that someone has blundered in connection with the decision not to allow the names of recruits to be published, and to withhold from the Press any information with respect to the filling-up of quotas. Without the publicity given .by the newspapers, the recruiting campaign would have fallen very flat, and now that secrecy is to be observed, the lack of public interest in recruiting will-almost certainly be reflected in the number of voluntary enlistments. There appears to be >. some inconsistency in the instructions issued iy the Defence Department, for though the Ghristchiircli newspapers announce that no information will be available,' the local Defence officers state that particulars of enlistments will be available at intervals. These details ought to be obtained as a; right by the Press of the Dominion, for in. no other way can the anomalies in the non-enlistment of eligible men be made public. The delay in putting into fojroe, the compulsory clauses of tne Military Service Act is responsible for the present crisis in recruiting, and it is necessary that an official statement should be made with regard to the actual date when the reserves will be called up. Thousands of men have already signified their willingness; to conao forward when called upon, and it ia almost farcical to continue making appeals for enlistment under other conditions. The Minister of Defence urges the holding of public meetings, but experience has shown that these are attended almost solely by noneligibles, and seldom result in more than half a dozen recruits coming forward. The problem; needs grasping with both hands,: lest the serious position will arise that the Twenty-first and one or, two of the succeeding reinforce-j ments will have to be despatched) over 500 men short, or with that! number ,of insufficiently-trained j men. The question has been asked: "Are the Defence officers in the different localities doing all that is possible for them to do in the way of getting recruits ? Or is it not regarded as part of their duty to act as recruiting agents? '"If.it is, there are many opportunities at public gatherings—race meetings, agricultural shows, and similar functions— where men could be approached. The heavy casualties that the ISTew Zealanders in prance have recently sustained indicate the need for regular and full drafts of reinforcements, and no man who is.eligible ought to need the pleading of a recruiting agent to induce him a fill a -gap in the ranks. It may be taken for granted that the Defence Department is not vet ready to enforce compulsion, and for the credit of the Dominion vre would urge the eligible men. in this district not to wait for the call, but ito at OIKC-.