ABOUT A RECRUIT

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2750, 19 April 1916, Page 7

ABOUT A RECRUIT

' ; -.;,■ ■ ~-i»— —-iA LETTER AND A REPLY. > A reply to a letter ,published ill The Dominion of April 7 has been received from' Lieutenant H. W. MartynRoberts, N.Z.G.A., Commander of Group 6, Palmerston North.'The let-.j ter published'was as follows: — Sir.—l see by your valuable paper to-day that there is a great shortage in • the : infantry of present Reinforcements. If so, please give mo an. explanation of the following facts: — •■ Some" months ago a young man of Feilding, who had passed. his medical . test, tried to get away in the N Ambulance; but owing to so many enlisting in same, of course had to take his chance.. Now, a couple of months ago he inquired at the Palmerston North Recruiting Office, and was told he could go'in with the April 4 draft. A week .before he gave the firm the usual notice, and on April 1 he gets a official note to say he was not required. His position being taken as far as ho knew, and as be .had received a sendoff and presentation, he decided ,to proceed direct to "Wellington and Buqkle . Street, and try there, but, alas, he tried both Infantry and Ambulance, and,, along with others, who had also given up their billots, was turned down. , The very next day. there "is a cry in . your paper for more men. '.■' Now, I would like to know when' this" dilly-dallying with the men'is going'to . cease, and the public are put on a firm footing as regards^recruiting. A little enlightenment of the, true facts would be very acceptable'' to the general public as well as beneficial to the employers of labour. —I am, etc., PUZZLED.

Feilding. The Group Commander's reply is as follows:— •■•'.".

!'The young man referred to in the letter signed "Puzzled" enlisted on November 23, 1915, at Feilding, for the Ambulance. He was informed then that there was no chance of being callved up for. some .time, as the.lists of recruits for that branch were full. A

notice was forwarded to hini ; later, stating that the only branch of tho sorvice which he could possibly get away with was the infantry, and he was asked to reconsider Wb decision. To this, ,wo received no reply. Notices were forwarded to him to proceed to camp with

'•' the 13th and the 14th:.Reinforcements, requesting him to reply. He did not reply. His employer states that on - 'March 20 ho received a telephone com- ', raunication from the. Group .Office that We -young man' was to proceed 'to camp on April,4. This message was ''subsequently cancelled, the number of

Ambulance men being ait down by the •'■ authorities. His employer gave him a send-off in his private, house on ' March 28. On April 6we were in- . formed that this-- young man was pro-" ' pared to go into camp tvjth the infan- ■ try. He was notified forthwith to re- : port, and on doing;bo was forwarded .to camp on April 7 1 . This, I think, will explain the position, and show that there are two sides to the story.''