The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1915. THE NATIONAL REGISTER

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2638, 8 December 1915, Page 4

The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1915. THE NATIONAL REGISTER

The preliminary summary of the results of the National Register published this morning will be read with mixed feelings. The purpose of the register was to ascertain as exactly as possible the man power of the Dominion between the ages of 17 and 60 years, and the readiness or otherwise of those of military age to serve their country during the continuance of the war, either in the fighting lines of in civil employment. The figures now made available relate to men between the ages of 19 and 44 years inclusive, and though not quite complete are sufficiently full to enable the Government and the country to form a fairly accurate estimate of how stand in regard to the men of military age remaining in the country. The total number of names of men of military age on the register shown in the preliminary summary is 208,513. Later, this total will be increased by a few thousands held over for inquiries fco be made before classifying them. Of the 208,513 recorded, some 16,000 have to be at onoo discarded from the point of view of military service on various grounds. Somo 9000 of them have already offered their services with the Expeditionary Forces and been rejected; nearly 4000 others are incapacitated, for military service; there are also 3200 foreign subjects, and there are 288 returned troopers. In addition, 4421 of those whose names, appear on the register had at the time the record was compiled already offered their services with the Expeditionary Forces and been accepted; so that the total of available men of military age must be reduced for the purpose of estimating the future supply, by the 16,000 known, to be unavailable, and the 4421 already enlisted. This means that the total of 208,513 on {he register is reduced for the purposes of future drafts of Reinforcements to about 188 000 men. It is gratifying indeed' to learn that of this number 109 683 have oxpressed their readiness to' become members of an Expeditionary Force if required. It as true that a substantial proportion of these— probably one-third—would he rejected as unfit for service on. physical grounds, while many additional could not be spared from the particular work in which they are engaged here; but the figures afford a very fine Rvliiancn of the; jinlrjt (juJaiad the jyeat 0 f tW

people of the Dominion. It should not be overlooked that considerably more than one-half of the men who have signified their willingness to join tho fighting ranks should occasion require are married men— 59,288 is the total of these—and of this number 50,344 are men with families.

The Prime Minister appears to be very jubilant over the results shown by tho register, but on reflection he will probably recognise that the position revealed is not one for unmixed satisfaction. Over 34,000 men of military age have declared themselves shirkers, unready to serve their country either in a civil or a military capacity in the greatest crisis of its history. Of this number 8390 arc single men without dependents, and tho majority of them aro young men between 19 and 30 years of age. _ Aro these men to be allowed.to shirk their responsibilities while married men with families go out to the fighting lines leaving their to struggle along in most cases on the pay of a private { Then there are 844!single men without dependents who have refused to enlist, but who offer their services in a oivil capacity. How many of these we wonder are shirkers professing willingness to undertake duties which could be [equally well performed by older men or by men unable to pass the medical tests, -or even by "women t Some of these single men no doubt are. unfit for service with the Expeditionary Force, but what' a pathetic spectacle these self-con-fessed shirkers must present in the eyes of every patriotic man and woman in Bew Zealand, or, indeed, in the eyes, of the people of any free nation which treasures the liherties and privileges which its citizens, enjoy. The Government will not, wc led astray by the figures of the National Register. The fact that over 100,000 men of military age have expressed their willingness to voluntarily serve their country in the Expeditionary Force if required does not mean that anything like that number of men will be available for service. Apart from the circumstance that nearly one-third of the number are likely to fail to pass the required mcdical tests, tnany of those who have expressed their willingness to- serve "if reguircd" undoubtedly have done so in the belief that married men with families will not Le "required" until the supply of single men is exhausted. Moreover, it is obviously undesirable as a matter of policy that so large a proportion of marncd men as have signified their willingness to enlist should be enrolled while there are single mon who should be first callcd on to do their duty. Possibly when fuller details are available regarding the National Register the position of the large number of men of military age who for the present must be treated as shirkers will be shown to be lesn unsatisfactory than now appears to be the case; but it would fce foolish indeed for the Government to. base its anticipations of future voluntary recruiting. on the total of mer who hive expressed their willingness to fcrvis 'if required."