THE CALL FOR MEN

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2871, 8 September 1916, Page 6

THE CALL FOR MEN

" TAIHOA " RECRUITS

MEN WHO NEGLECT THE CALL

Shortages in drafts of recruits on tho day of mobilisation are due usually to the failure of some of tho enlisted men to present themselves on the day fixed for the commencement of their training. During the last six months it has not often happened that a district lias not been able to cail'up the required number of men. But very often many of the men have failed to answer the call, although they had been previously passed as fit and accepted for service. District officers have sometimes called up men ten or fifteen per cent, iu excess of requirements, and even then there has been a shortage at mobilisation. It appears, said an authority, that thoro are in New Zealand hundreds of young men who like to wear an armlet and have their names published in the newspapers among tho lists of men who have volunteered for service, but who find it hard to make up their minds to go into camp.

The existing system of recruiting in loose, and recruiting orcamsationa throughout the Dominion have asked on many occasions that the Government should tako measures to ensure that the man who registers and is passed as fit will be available for service when he is required. The Government proiroses now to amend the system to the extent of requiring men to take the oath after registration and before they are served with armlets, so that, failure to respond to the mobilisation call will amount to desertion and will be punishable. Tho need for this reform is shown by the experience of_ many recruiting officers. Instances might be quoted of men who have been called up for three, four, or even six successive drafts, and have stayed away every time. Sometimes they hav« made explanations, good or otherwise, and sometimes thoy bave merely nvoi.' 3 -- ed putting in an appearance without offering any excuse at all.

When a man registers and is accepted for service under, the present arrangement, ho states the earliest date on which he will bo ready to enter camp, and also the amount of notice he requires. Then he is handed his khaki armlet, and ho docs not hear from the Defence authorities again, in tho ordinary course 'of events, until he is called up. If ho fails to answer that call, the Department, writes to him calling attention to his failure, and calls him up again for a later draft. Usually tho man has some explanation to make, or at least takes the trouble to state ■ that ho will bo ready at a later date. But ha can fail as raany'aß four times before the Defence Department attempts to recover tho armlet with which ho was supplied, and recovery is not always easy, since tbfc man may have changed his address. It would be unfair to regard as a "slacker" every man who fails to answer a mobilisation call. A man's circumstances may change materially after his registration, and domostio o? business reasons may induce him to delay, going into camp. The Defence authorities are always ready to listen sympathetioally to any explanation of this character, and to transfer to a later Roinforcement the man who finds it difficult to comply with his original urn dertaking. But when allowances have been made for all the cases of this character, there-remains; according to the authorities a residium of men who wear tho khaki'armlet undor false pretences. They have enlisted, but they nre not willing to get into camp.