22nd REINFORCEMENTS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2904, 17 October 1916, Page 6

22nd REINFORCEMENTS

BI6BILISATION BEGINNING

BIG SHORTAGE THREATENED

Tho mobilisation of tho Twenty-Sec-oricl Reiuiorcements will begin to-day. The enlisted men irom Group 5 (Wol/lington City and Suburbs) bavo been directed to assemblo at the Buckle - Stroct Barraoks at'B o'clock this morning, and they will march through tho (.' streets, to Lambton Station about 10 o'clock. Tho men from tho other groups in the Wellington military district will proceed to camp by Tail during tho day, the Auckland men will arTivo to-morrow, the Canterbury men on and tho Otago men on Friday. •The military districts of the DoimnI ion havo been, asked to provide 2826 men for tho Twenty-second Reinforcements. This number includes shortages. carried forward from tho Twen- ' tieth and Twenty-first Reinforcements. Preliminary reports from the districts show that,{he full number of men will not be'available this week, and the indicatidns aro that the shortage is going to be the largest yet experienced in connection with the monthly droits.-1 During tho last three weeks, since tho • introduction or the new recruiting sys- ' tern, all men previously registered for tho Twcnty-seoond Reinforcements, os well as all the new recruits, havo been attested as members of the Expeditionary Forces, and then given leave passes, entitling tltem to stay nut of camp until the date of mobilisation. The .number of men available for _this month's draft, therefore, is definitely ' known, and the reports from the,districts show that at midday on Saturday 1607 recruits had been enlisted for ' tho Twenty-second Reinforcements. Some additional recruits may be secured before the drafts leave for camp, but probably the shortage at the end of this week will exceed 1000 men. This week's mobilisation is the first undertaken under the new system, and. tho Defenoe authorities are anxious that the men should understand the position clearly. Every 'man enlisted For tho Twenty-second-.Reinforcements ' has been attested fully, and ranks as a soldier, subject to the previsions of the Army Aot. The order to mobilise to-day and on tho following days is a definite instruction, and not a request. Somo 200 men have been notified to parade at the Buckle Streot barracks ttlfis morning, as the draft from Group 5. Any man among these, who does not appear will rank as a deserter, and if he cannot give a prompt and satisfactory explanation of his failure, ho will be arrested' by the police and handed over to the military authorities. Enlistment under the new system is a definite step, and no man may draw back at tho last moment. It has been usual in tho past for many of tho recruits set down for any particular draft to Tail to appear on the day of moDiHsatibn, but a full master is Expected Th' each group this week. TEe prospect of a very big shortage for the Twenty-Second Reinforcements makes it imperative that the Defence Department should hasten tho operation of th© Military Service Act, and it is expected that some men will be taken into camp under Clause 35, relating to the "family shirker," in the near future. A shortage of 1000 men will not mean an immediate danger of a shortage in a draft for the front, since the number of men now in training is adequate idr some months to come. But the shortage will extinguish the reserve completely, and the fact that the voluntary system has failed to produco tho required number of men during, throe successive months is a clear indication that conscription must be applied without delay. The necessary \ arrangements are. being made as -quiokly as possible. ohristchur'ch. shortage. By Telegraph—Press Association. . Chrlstohuroh, Octobor 16. The Ohristchurch quota of the Twenty-second Reinforcemonts, which leaves for camp on "Wednesday night, is 129 short, only 160 men having so far. been secured out of ■ 279 required. This is the first'time for months that Christohurch has been unablo to fulfil its requirements, and it is many months since the shortage has been so serious. Recruiting- has been very slack in tho City of late, and it is feared the end of the district's resources from, tho voluntary standpoint has been reached. In support of this, it is pointed out that 30 men have been so far secured for the Twenty-third Reinforcements going into camp next month. AUCKLAND'S POSITION. Bj Telepaph—Press Aesociatioa. Auckland, October 16. Tho Auckland group was asked to dispatch 405 men to-morrow for the Twenty-second Reinforcements, but this / number was not availabls. A total of 860 of all arms has been called, up. The Wairarapa. quota of the Twentysecond Reinforcements, which goes into camp at Trentham to-day,. will (says our special correspondent) be about twenty men short.