THE CALL FOR MEN.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 December 1915, Page 3

THE CALL FOR MEN.

SLOW RECRUITING LATELY. INFANTRY WANTED TOR ELEVENTH REINFORCEMENTS. (From Our Own Correspondent.) ! Wellington, Nov. 20. The men for the Eleventh Reinforcements will have to be called up within the next fortnight, and at the present time the Defence Department has not upon its books a sufficient supply of infantry recruits to meet requirements. Recruiting has slackened off in most of the centres lately, Wellington included, and it is clear that there must be a spurt before December 15 if the drafts are to be ready on time. It will be remembered that there was delay in securing the full number required for the Tenth Reinforcements, called up earlier in the present month, owing to the failure of a considerable number of enlisted men to come forward when, informed that they were wanted. Men are needed more urgently for the infantry than for any other branch. There are many hundreds of surplus recruits on the lists for the ambulance and army serviee corps, these branches being over-supplied for many months to come, and the men who are on these lists are invited now to apply for transfer to the infantry.

DEFENCE MINISTER'S VIEW. THE NEED FOR A SPUET. "There is no doubt that we need a spurt in order to provide the necessary number of infantry recruits for the December reinforcements," said the Defence Minister (Hon. .T. Allen). "The rate of recruiting has fallen off la-tely, but the December draft has to be found." The Minister added that he was securing detailed information with regard to the state of the recruiting lists. Many of the men who were on the' lists had stipulated when registering that they were not to be called up before certain dates in the New Year, and these recruits would not be available in December.