THE PROGRESS OF RECRUITING

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 191, 9 May 1940, Page 8

THE PROGRESS OF RECRUITING

Some idea of the progress of voluntary enlistment for overseas service may be gained from figures given by the Prime Minister on Tuesday, and published yesterday. To date, he said, there had been 34 900 enlistments, and of this number 24,958 men had been passed as fit. A total of 1860 had been held back for reserved occupations, 15,636 had been dispatched to camp and 6720 men were available tor posting.' Presumably the number, 15,636, represents the tota o trainees from which were drawn the Ist and 2nd Echelons, and the balance consists of potential members of the 3rd Echelon, who are now being called into camp. It is to be recognized, however, that these are not net totals of servicemen, for they do not take into account me numbers weeded out as medically unfit after entering camp. In the absence of figures relating to trainees who have actually proved fit for overseas service, the net result of recruiting to date cannot be accurately determined. Assuming, however, that the tota number of men made available to date, after excluding all forms o what is known as “wastage,” is 20,000, it can be said that the volunteer system has produced an average of 2500 soldiers a month since war began. This result would appear to be the basis of the Prime Minister s contention that the response has been “highly satisfactory. But Hie fact cannot be overlooked that the average includes the very arge proportion of young men who hastened to join the Colours when the call was first heard. Since then there has been a marked diminution. For example, the average number of enlistments for the March-April period (taken over five weeks) works out in round figures to 2600. a month. When all forms of “wastage” be taken into account, this means that enlistments in t ic March-April period promise to produce fit, trained soldiers at the rate of something like 1500 a month. The foregoing figures, though they are simply approximations, serve to put the picture in a very different light. . 1 hey indicate that the testing time for the volunteer system of recruiting is not the past but the near future. At Tuesday night’s meeting of the Wellington Recruiting Committee it was stated that

the 3rd Echelon was practically up to lull strength but the problem facing the Dominion was to ensure reinforcements and reserves of at least 1000 a month. Already the probable net result of monthly recruiting has dwindled to within sight of that minimum. What of the next six or eight months? Does the Government expect that voluntary enlistment will continue to produce as long as may be necessary an adequate monthly average of fit trainees? The present trend does not encourage such a belief. Nor does it suggest that the Prime Minister’s optimism took into account the vital factor—the future.