REQUESTED TO ENLIST

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2714, 8 March 1916, Page 6

REQUESTED TO ENLIST

CIVIL STAFF AT MILITARY fi EAD QU ARTERS.

The civil staff of the Defence Department has been notified that all members of military age must offer their services with the Expeditionary Forces at tho earliest opportunity, "in order to dear up tho situation with regard to the issue of badges, the release of those who are medically fit and can bo spared, and the retention of those whoso services in their present positions are considered necessary and indispensable in the interests of the Department." Tho notification proceeds: "After registration they will be entitled to wear badges according to whether they are medically unfit, waiting to be called up, or retained for duties in connection with tho Expeditionary Force. Group commanders who receive these registrations ivill submit the names of those fit for service to Headquarters through the districts, and a list will be returned with a statement against each name showing whether the candidate (a) can be spared at once, (b) cannot be spared until a later date,-(c) is indispensable for tho duties in which he is engaged, l'he group commander will then deal ivith the various categories as under: (a) Will be served with a notice to join tho next reinforcoments to be called up; (lj) will be placed in the reinforcements being called up at the date nearest to which he will be free of his Departmental duties; (c) will be marked as indispensable, and no further action taken. Officers commanding districts when forwarding list to Headquarters will make their recommendations accordingly for the guidanco of Headquarters." The Hon. James Allen, Minister of Defence, in speaking to a roportcr on tho subject yesterday afternoon, explained that the intention was that if tho civilians in tho Department's employ wanted badges, they must first enlist and show their willingness to go, And then if their liead of Department considered that they could not be spared their services would bo retain* «d. This only applied bo far as his Department was concerned.