ALL AVAILABLE SINGLE MEN

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 113, 4 June 1941, Page 4

ALL AVAILABLE SINGLE MEN

THE words of the. chairman of the Overseas Appeal Board Mr S. L. Patterson) when commenting on the necessity for all eligible single men to> be made available for overseas service at the sitting in Whakatane last week leaves no doubt as to the all-in drive for manpower which the Government has now brought into force. All available single men wifl be required before the first ballot for married men is released. This means that after the final ballot (due Within the next six weeks) for single men, steps will be taken to rigorously review all' exempted balloteers. Those who are considered fit will have to show particularly strong reasons why they should not be included in the overseas forces. There, will 1 be a final combing out of the existing lists before the married classes are drawn upon, and only those whose services are urgently needed at home will be posted to the Home Reserve. The next class —married men without children opens up a new reserve of manpower, and though not to be compared with the numerical strength of the single men, it is estimated that there should be from fifteen to twenty thousand, of whom some eight or ten thousand are expected to be declared fit for military service. The classes to follow are based on the same footing 'as the policy adopted during the last war, when famil<y groups were drawn up of men with one, two, three and four children. It will be remembered that New Zealand actually trained 130,000 men during the last war, over the duration period of four years. Already the present struggle has drawn 40,000 from these shores (this number including the men on Pacific garrison duty, and the men in Canada and at home training for the Air Force). Thus we can see that with volunteers, and nearing the conclusion of the single men's ballot, the country has maintained a response similar to that which was made in 1914. But single men in New Zealand are still awaiting their call, and it would possibly be reasonable to suppose that a further 6000 will: be found fit and willing to join their fellows overseas. Already their comrades have written new history by bearing the brunt of the German onrush ,in. Greece, and by counteringthe fiercest attack of parachute troops in modern times. Fifteen thousand of these heroes have been evacuated to Egypt and will be reinforced and built up with New Zealand. drafts held in reserve, and by additional men from their Homeland. They have set the example and shown the way. In the face of the seriousness of the position and the / vastness of the principles at stake, the fighting men of this country will! not be backward in offering t'heir services. Single men first; men with family responsibilities next!