THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 April 1916, Page 8

THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

' THE PLEDGE OF SECRECY. .•(From Our Own-Correspondent.) Wellington, March 31. Misapprehensions seems to ovist in some quarters regarding. the scope of the pledge of secrecy given, by the.Government m connection with tlie National Register. When the men of military age throughout New Zealand were asked to give particulars regarding their age, state of health and dependants, and to state whether or not they were willing to serve their country during the present war, the Government stated that the information so obtained would be regarded as confidential. But the promise was never intended to imply—and could not reasonably be so interpreted—that the Ministers. would not he at liberty to make the Register the basis of a scheme of national s-.-rvice.

The point arises in connection with the Conscription Bill that certainly will *be placed before Parliament during the approaching session. The new recruiting scheme provides for the preparation of new and thoroughly reliable rolls of men of military age by means I of the personal canvass, and some of the recruiting districts will produce these rolls. But in other districts, Wellington and Auckland for example, the canvass is not being undertaken at all, and in those -?ases the Government certainly will have to fall back upon the nominal rolls which have been prepared already from the National Register. These rolls admittedly are not complete or entirely reMable, but they will furnish an excellent basis for further operations. There will be.no breach of confidence, since the personal information contained ir. the National Register forms will not be made public. The answers made by individuals „o the questions as to willingness to serve will not count in the matter at all, and will remain buried in the Register. The Government will s : mply use the Register to make lists of men of military i»ge, with their addresses and conditions as to age and dependants.

The Prime Minister referred to this matter to-day in answer to a question. "There is nothing in the pledge of secrecy given by the Government to prevent us using the National Register to classify the men of this country," he said. "The authorities will not divulge the answers given by any man to particular questions, but they are within the letter and spirit of the pledge in using the Register to assign him to his proper classification in the manhood of the nation. T still hope that the general adoption of the .Government's recruiting scheme will give us better rolls than can be compiled from the National Register. The point illustrates the very great importance of the personal canvass."