THE REINFORCEMENTS.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 August 1916, Page 6

THE REINFORCEMENTS.

VOLUNTEERS DESIRED. (From Our Own Correspondent)'. Wellington, August 2i. The Wellington city draft for the 'Mb Reinforcements went into camp 50 men short of its full quota this morning. Other districts may do better, and there seems no reason at the moment to anticipate a general shortage for the Reinforcement. Rut the experience of Wellington is regarded as significant. Thn group ofiicers wanted lSli infantry recruits to provide a full quota, and tliey called up rather more than 200 in order to be on the safe side. The number of men who actually paraded was 120, so that over 70 men who had registered and had been accepted lor service failed to make an appearance when called up foi training. Enquiries suggest that in some cases at any rate the reason for this failure was the impending formation of the Expeditionary Force Reserve under the Military Service Act. The men ielt that now the Government had power to take the men it needed in fair sequence, the reinforcements were bound to lie maintained, and they need not go into camp ''out of their turn." Speaking to your correspondent today, an officer of the stall said that no volunteer ought to imagine for a moment that his services were not now required. The army would rather have volunteers than conscripts, and in any case compulsory enlistment was not yet possible in New Zealand, since the necessary machinery had not all been provided. The rolls had to be prepared, the appeal boards constituted and other details attended to before the Defence Department ceased to be dependant upon the voluntary system, and in the meantime the reinforcements had to be maintained.