The Expeditionary Force

Horowhenua Chronicle, 5 October 1916, Page 3

The Expeditionary Force

I ♦ — PREPARATION' OF REGISTERS PROCEEDING. (By Telegraph). Wellington. October 4. The work of preparing regis tore ol the first and second divisions of the Expeditionary Force Reserve under the Military Service Act is now proceeding ivpace. It is .ju.st possible that the quotas of the new group in the various recruiting districts for the 23rd -Reinforcements (the November draft) will be basedi oil the men available in tile first division of the reserve, but in any crse the machinery for taking a ; ballot should voluntary recruiting not produce tho men required will then be in full working order. The Recruit■in~ Board is well satisfied with the manner in which men of military age h;ivc responded to the proclamation, andi enrolled in the 'Reserve, but while this response has been quite up to expectations I have reason to, believe that a number of reservists have not enrolled and T des-'re to sound a final note of warn-in jr. Every man rf military age who nnpl-Vd for his certificate of enrolment (sho'ii.ldi now have received a card of acknowledgment; if any man has not yet received this it must be because either his n; plication or the acknowledgment t iird has gone astray in transit. His proper course is to at orico forward another application to the Government Statistician because it is not intended to await the issue of certificates of enrolment before taking action in tile esse of men who there is reason to believe are evading fchefr legail obligations in view of the probible early application of the ballot. It, vould be manifestly unjust to permit my man bvi reason of the fact that it! lias not enrolled to increase, the ihances of citizens who have loyally lon« their duty and therefore it is nte.nd.ed to round) up mil suspects and fill them to produce acknowledgment ardis as proof they have applied for certificate of enrolment. I wish to nake it clear that it is not proposed o immediately take advantage of the | general provisions of Section 44 which

empowers a constable to question any man who may reasonably be supposed to be of military age. Present action is to bo restricted to specific cases where the Government Statistician or the police have reason to believe that men have not registered. On cmvicfcion alii sucli men will be called up for service with the Expeditionary Force under .Section 3-1 of the Act. J. ALLEY, Chairman of Recruiting Board.