CALLING UP THE MEN

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2711, 4 March 1916, Page 6

CALLING UP THE MEN

M BIG RECRUITING CAMPAIGN

UNITS FOR EFFECTIVE WORK

DEFENCE MINISTER'S VIEWS The Recruiting Committee for Auckand City, which is the Auckland City t'ouncil, has just held its first meeting, ind in the committee's estimation one tlio essentials to the success of re31'uiting is somo provision for tie taking of men into camp (presumably at Auckland) immediately after, their enlistment. The Defence Minister has received communications by telegraph from the Mayor of Auckland (Mr. J. H, Gunson) on the topic, to which Mr. Allen has forwarded replies. Following are extracts from the Minister's messages:— "Will you please place before the Auckland City Council the present position regarding recruiting, in order that they may realise that there can bo now no difficulty with respect to men , enlisting if they comply with tlio conditions. In category A, men enlist for definite Reinforcements, and know the date when they will bo called up. In category B they enlist as ready to be called up at 14 days' notice. It would seriously hamper our, training and damage our good name if we were to attempt to bring men into oamp day by <'<& as they enli3t. I regret, therefore! that it is not possible to agree to the >. suggestion of your council. ..." _ "I suggest that you divide up the city, and divide up your roll as' for, say, a hard fought Mayoral election, ai.d work out with the lecal Defence Office the quota for each Reinforcement for each subdivision, that you organise a recruiting sub-committee for each subdivision, and use the stimulus of competition . among subdivisions to supply tlio four-weekly quota. As soon as the quota is complete for any Reinforcement, close that, and direct effort to others, working to secure sufficient for six months ahead. For districts outside your city I believe it is best \to set them the task of organising their own local area. ..." . "It is hoped that committees will add to the rolls the names of'those who did not register. Some names also may appear on the Auckland roll . which should be transferred elsewhere. Your committee _ would render valuable aid by notifying other districts of such 'transfers." POOR REPONSE IN KILBIRNIE Altogether nine persons, including tlie three scheduled speakers, were in the Kilbirnie Hall last night when the promoters of the recruiting meeting, which should have been held there, decided to abandon the attempt. The : sneakers were Dr. A, K. Newman, M.P., Mr. J. H. HolliweTl, and Mr. W. ITsidisoii, and they were included 'in the ■ nine. Also included was one lady, the wife of the chairman. There was' only one other person present wlio was not either a promoter of the meeting or a member of the Kilbirnie branch of the National Reserve, whose members had been asked to attend the meeting. 'It' may be mentioned that this branch of tho Reserve has an active membership of eighty. "TOO OLD , BUT WILLING." The Prime Minister, as chairman of ' the Recruiting Board, has recently been communicated with by two men over 75 years of age, who are anxious to enlist and. to go to the front. "I happen to know both men personally," said Mr. Massey yesterday, "and. I know that the applications are perfectly genuine. One of the men is as strong and vigorous as most men of fifty, but as he made his application in persort he was asked about Jlis age. It was only after being _ pressed t-o' give his age that he admitted that ho was 75 years old." / ■ ENTHUSIASTIC EFFORTS IN MARLBOROUGH By Telegraph—Press Association. , Blenheim, March 3. A large and representative meeting of local bodies of Marlborough resolved to assist- the Government in its recruiting scheme in every possible way. Every local body, will act as a recruiting committee, and make a comprehensive can. vass of the various' districts of men eligible for military service. It wa6 resolved, in view of the fact that- Marlborough had hitherto 'provided more men than its proportion for the Nelson District, tho Government be asked to provide information as to the number of men required from Marlborough for monthly drafts, and that the Minister be urged to create Blenheim a recruiting centre. It was also ■ unanimously decided to urge upon the Government the necessity, for some form of compulsory service. AN APPEAL' FROM THE "TENTH.' 1 (To the Editor.) . Sir, —As one of the Tenth I crave' your indulgence for a little space in your paper to publish the letter I write , that it may assist the Empire in this great crisis. Before I enlisted I was often questioned' as 'to. why I had not donned, the khaki, and my response was, "When-so-and-so enlists, I'll follow." I thought I was secure behind this argument, till I met a member of the Defence, who, in reply, told me, "Suppose we all said that, where would our, Empire be?"'Sir, I take it upon myself as part ,of my duty to call upon the young men; who are able and have not answered; the. call to pull themselves together and take upon themselves the privilege of calling themselves men. The life in camp is beyond comparison, and with all the comforts of your Wellington-civil-easy-lifo I'd not exchange it For a world. We have in our Reinforcement men who have laboured manually all; their lives: then we have the trades and clerical''lino, and Jinaßy there are men of letters. It is absolutely beyond, belief that when they take tho_ oath and put on the khaki aU civilian "swanlt" is cut out. The- training teaches a man manliness, and had tlio young able-bodied men the faintest idea of the benefit derived from the life in Trontham they'd flock in thousands. We are away on , and tho whole Reinforcement' loaves with the one thought of vengeance. Wo are sorry,. . heartily sorry, to leave New Zealand,.' but our feelings take a second place when we think of the honour wo have'attained by being permitted the honour | of fighting for our country and the women and children. Young men, we' look to you to follow in our wake, an'd avenge the death of those of us who: fall., Wo go forward with the one idea,' of fighting for liberty, justice, and Em. pire. What New Zealand has dono NewZealand can do, and with the name of Anzac on our lips wo go to give ouv last blood if necessary. Come on men, and join us, and bo MEN. Don't let homo comfort and petticoat excuses hold; you back from your duty. Our Empire ■ calls, and you must answer ,_ and if you answer we'll welcome you in Egypt if you call on ONE OF THE TENTH. .> Trentham Camp, March 3.