ANXIOUS TO SERVE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2579, 29 September 1915, Page 3

ANXIOUS TO SERVE

THE LEGION ; OF FRONTIERSMEN. The New Zealand section of- the Legion of Frontiersmen has. offered tha Government a body of 500 men fully uniformed} equipped, and trained for service abroad, ifhe offer .was inade-in the ■ House yesterday afternoon'- by. Mr.' J. A. Young.,'. y , . The Minister of Defence (the Hon. J.: Allen) thanked the Legion for its generous offer. An offer, lie said, had been made in -the early stages of thewar, -and atVthat time, the. Government could not see its wayl to , accept; it. Members' of tho Legion!! had been.: invited to join; the Forces individually, and. something likej, 1-200 did so, .ana rendered very, valuable service,_ ('owing' to their experience, in : "stiffening up" the bodies of men. that had gone away. They were an admirable lot of men; and the Government wanted them all to enlist/ but-lie could not say just then if the Government could accept! a body of them as a unit, with the uniform-they desired. .Offers of,individual units were •becoming' iiot uncommon.' '. 'f:''I"; ''I should prefer that men should register in the ordinary ,way, and make : our army a one. I will consult with the General Officer' Commanding, and reply mor© ' definitely later." ! .