THIRD ECHELON.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 139, 13 May 1940, Page 5

THIRD ECHELON.

RECRUITING PROCEDURE. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, May 11. An assurance that, as far as possible, any transfer of men from one military district to another would be confined to single , men was given by Hon. F. Jones (Minister of Defence), to-day, when explaining by way of comment on the telegram from Auckland the procedure adopted by the defence, [authorities in this connection. There had always been a certain amount of movement of men away , from their home-districts, he said. There was at present no intention of transferring men from Auckland to meet the shortage in any other district,' but owing entirely, to the. difficulty that had been experienced in fitting in the units of the Third Echelon to the existing accommodation in the camps it had been found necessary to send some of the infantry reinforcements recruited in the Northern District to Burnham for training. The proposed distribution would enable the department to make the best use of the available accommodation','and at the same time keep the units and their reinforcements together. “As. far as possible all who volunteer;-; are allowed to state the arm of the service they prefer, and as far as possible due regard is given to their wishes,, biit.it is not nossible to moot every individual case,” said the Minister. “The number of men available for the Third Echelon is more than sufficient, and if a larger number than is required /for any arm state their preference for that arm some of them necessarily must he drafted to another arm of the service.”