SUMMONS WHEN NEEDED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20049, 22 September 1939, Page 4

SUMMONS WHEN NEEDED

N.Z. OB BRITISH SEBVICE AMPLE MEN AVAILABLE Ml NISTEIt’S STATEMENT (lYr I'ip.ss Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. In order to clarify the position with regard to requirements of naval officers and men, the Minister of Defence, the Hon. F. Jones, issued a statement yesterday to the effect that officers and men of the Royal Naval Reserves and Royal Naval Volunteer Reserves of the Imperial Navy and of the New Zealand naval forces, including officers whose names were on the retired list, would be called up as and when required by personal summons. Until such summons was received, the Minister stated, the men should continue in their normal occupations and take no other action except to report their name and address to the Director of Naval Reserves, Wellington, if this had not already been done. Concerning retired officers of the Royal Navy, pensioners and R.F.R. men of the Royal Navy, the Minister said these would also be called up if and when required in a similar manner. In due course those not required for the New Zealand forces would be placed at the disposal of the British Admiralty and would be sent to England or elsewhere as the Admiralty might direct. Keen to Offer Their Services With regard to ex-Royal Navy ratings who were not pensioners or R.F.R. men, there was at present no service for which such men could be re-entered, said Mr Jones, 'but the naval authorities were well aware there existed in the Dominion a large body of these trained naval personnel and they also realised that the men were keen to offer their services. Should an opportunity present to enter some of these men, an announcement would be made when the time arose.

The British Government, continued the Minister, had asked for volunteers from among yachtsmen and ex-mer-cantile marine officers for commissions in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. So far as could be seen at present, added Mr. Jones, all naval requirements for the defence of New Zealand could be met from the established naval reserves and, perhaps, from a few of the ex-naval men resident in the Dominion, and it was not anticipated there would be any question of recruiting other men lor naval war service. Ordinary peace-time recruiting for naval forces would be continued, and an announcement concerning this would be made from time to time iu the usual way. Applications for peace-time recruiting should be made only by men wishing to join the navy for long service. He added that the Navy Department was working at very high pressure and would be grateful if the public would be good enough to refrain from writing to offer their services.