HOME DEFENCE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24418, 2 October 1940, Page 6

HOME DEFENCE

TERRITORIAL FORCE RESULTS OF FIRST BALLOT PUBLICATION TO-DAY RESERVISTS’ OBLIGATIONS \ < Special to Daily Times) WELLINGTON. Oct. 1. The fact that the publication of a reservist’s name in the Gazette was the decisive factor that transformed him from a civilian into a member of the Territorial Fcrce was emphasised by the Minister of National Service, Mr R. Semple, when commenting to-night on the first territorial ballot, the results of which will be announced to-mor-row. Individual notices would be sent to men drawn in the ballo.' by registered letter concurrently with the appearance of the Gazette, the Minister added, but if through any change of address notification was delayed this did not obviate a man’s liability. He was still bound by the Gazette notice. Medical Examination "Since the purpose of the ballot is to provide the first draft of troops necessary to bring the territorial forces up to war establishment.” Mr Semple said, “the selected reservists will be required, provided they are found medically fi'. to go to camp with the units to which they will be attached early this month. They will shortly receive instructions from the Defence authorities where and when they are to report for medical examination, and any recruit who is ill or otherwise physically unable to report must, take steps to advise the district area officer. “ If is realised that the calling up of men at comparatively short notice may in some cases cause a certain amount of inconvenience to the men concerned or to their employers,” the Minister added, “but the necessity for an adequate trained force for home defence should be sufficiently obvious to make it unnecessary for me to urge both men and employers to refrain from lodging appeals for a postponement of service except in cases of real urgency.” Appeal Procedure Dealing generally with the subject of appeals, the Minister said that both he and the Director of National Service, Mr J. S. Hunter, had received hundreds of applications for exemption from or postponement of service, but the efforts of the persons making these had been entirely washed •as neither Mr Hunter nor himself had power to consider or grant appeals. “There is only one way to get an appeal heard,” Mr Semple said. “ That is to send it ’to the secretary of the Manpower Committee for the district in which the appellant lives. Appeal forms are available at all post offices and the grounds on which appeals may be based are fully set out both on the calling up notice and on the appeal form itself.” The Minister aeffied that the period of training to be undergone by the men now being called up was one of three months, while the subsequent training would consist of a continuous period of a fortnight once a year together with a number or evening'and week-end parades.