NEW ZEALAND TROOPS.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 September 1915, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND TROOPS.

MORE MEN RETURNING. By Telegraph.—Special to Daily News. Wellington, Last Night. The news that two tfensports now at sea are bringing nearly a thousand isick and wounded New Zealanders from the hospitals in Egypt and Malta, is hastening the preparations that the Government is making at Rotorua and Hanmer for the treatment of partially recovered men. Invalided soldiers are coining back move quickly, and in larger numbers, than the defence authorities expected until recently, and the time available for the completion of new hospitals and convalescent camps is rather short. The department which is dealing with this matter has an energetic head in the Hon. G. W. Russell, who stated to-day, in answer to a question, that he had no doubt everything would be in readiness for those men who would require to be treated by the Government after their arrival here. It is assumed that the majority of the men will go to their own homes. The Defence Minister has not yet received information regarding the condition of the wounded men, who are included among the invalided troops aboard the Tofua and Willochra. The wounded who have returned to New Zealand up to the present time have practically all been classified by the medical officers as mild cases, and sooner or later we shall begin to receive Borne of the brave fellows who have been maimed and mutilated badly by Turkish shot and shell. A doctor who has returned from tbr front told your correspondent that the number of really distressing cases i that had come under his notice was not large, but he had seen wounds that involved complete incapacity and grave disfigurement. The Defence Department will inform the next-of-kin in each case of the nature of the injury, or sickness, before the arrival of the transports. RECRUITING. The rate of recruiting has shown some acceleration during the last lew days, since the Defence Minister announced that the departure of the reinforcements was to be hastened ffl response to a request from the Army Council, but the men will have to come in faster than they are doing just now if the 4000 recruits required for the Tenth Reinforcements are to be ready to begin their training in the feat week in November, the time already fixed. It seems likely that a recruiting campaign on a large scale will be necessary next month. The statement has been made that some men are holding back because they believe that the National Registration Bill is going to provide recruits as the Government wants them. This point was mentioned to the Defence Minister, who said that the Bill should not be misunderstood. The National Register was not a method of enlistment; it was intended to provide the Defence Department with information as to the number of men of military age in the dominion, the nature of their occupations, the extent of their family obligations, and their readiness and fitness for military service, but there was no provision in the Bill for calling up a single man. "We are asking each man to decide this question for himself," said the Minister. "The need for recruits has been put plainly before the country. We invite every man of military age to ask himself whether or not it is his duty to register his name at one of the recruiting offices. The decision is left with the individual, and I believe that the manhood of the nation will not fail to respond to the call."