THE MEDICALLY UNFIT

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2957, 21 December 1916, Page 4

THE MEDICALLY UNFIT

ASKED TO VOLUNTEER AGAIN.-, By Telegraph—Press Association. Auokland, Decomber 20. An important statement dealing with the. recruiting of men for the Expcditiouary Forces Reinforcements was made to-day by tho Minister of Defence. It refers particularly to men. who have already enlisted for service, but liavo been rejected owing io medical unfitness. "Tlio Defence Department would' be> glad," said tbo Minister, "if men in. the First Division whd have in tho pas'b volunteered for the ' Expeditionary Forces and have been passed as medically unfit would volunteer for service again. All who so volunteer will have xo attest. TJioy will be examined by the Medical Boaid, and if passed by this board as medically unfit their names will not be included in tho ballot but will be placed upon the' reserved list. Some of these men. will bo invited to volunteer for home service iit. the training camps if they could satisfactorily take ur> work which is nowbeing done by some of the staff irtcamps, ■ who might thus be let away itfor service. '.Chose who are passed by the Medical Board as fit for service would be invited to join one cr. other of the next two reinforcements. It has been found necessary to adopt this practice in order to relieve tn© First Division of tho reservo of a considerable number of names of thbsa> who aro medically unfit and who have previously volunteered. It has also become'specially necessary. because of the fact that in some districts the volunteer principle has 7 prevailed entirely, and in others varying numbers have had to bo balloted for where ballots have had to be imposed. In % word the practice is adopted in. order, to some extent at any rate to clear' the rolls and •to avoid unnecessary trouble in regard to the ballot. This invitation to men who have, already enlisted but Save not been accepted on account oi medical unfitness is offered to No. 1 Group first," added Mr. Allen. "The idea is to cxtond the principle, as the Department is in a position to do so. I hope that all Reirruiting Committees and Patriotic Societies in No. 1 Group will assist to the best of their ability in inducing thpse men to come forward and enlist at once. I '-