MORE MEN NEEDED

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2878, 16 September 1916, Page 8

MORE MEN NEEDED

DEFENCE MINISTER'S 'APPEAL,

The Defence Minister (the Hon. J. Alien) had u few remarks to make yesterday about the urgency of. stimulating rccruiting to ensure that the next draft may go into camp up to strength. '■'There are only a feiv more days now in which' to find the balance of the. men required to complete the. 21st Reinforcements, and to make up the shortage on the 20fch draft," said Mr. Allen. "I understand' that there is a very considerable number of people, in New Zealand who think we ought to be able to pull through with the voluntary principle. Now is the time for the people of the country to sliow whether they are in earnest about the voluntary system. There is a shortage to be made up, : and ,1 do hope- tliat all the recruiting committees, and those who have assisted us in the past to find recruit's ' will not slacken in their efforts, but rather -.will increase their efforts to help its to secure the men ■we want. We are not in a position to bring the compulsory clauses of the Act into force for a . little time yet. Before that can happen a good deal of organising -work must 'be' done." Mr. Allen added..that he still hoped that it would be. possible to put the Act into operation by the end of October.