THE TWENTIETH.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 September 1916, Page 7

THE TWENTIETH.

SHOUT AGE OWING TO SLACKERS. •LARGE PROPORTION OF REJECTS. (■From Our Own Correspondent). Wellington, August 28. The mobilisation of the 20th Reinforcements at Featherston Camp has been completed, and the official returns show a shortage in 411 arms of 360 men. The number of men called up to fill the ranks of the 20th Reinforcements and the 22nd ■N.C.O.'s was approximately 2300 men, so that the shortage amounts to rather more than 15 per cent, of the nominal strength of the draft.. The present shortage, like some previous shortages, is due not so much to the lack of recruits as to the failure of enlisted men to answer the call to camp. Scores of men in all parts of the conntry ihad registered for service and stated their willingness to go into camp by a particular date; but when they were summoned to join the colors they did not respond, and they failed in very many cases to make any sort of explanation. New Zealand's present method of registration does not give the Defence authorities aAy hold over recruits until they have actually entered camp and been attested. There are men who have .been called up several times during the last six months, and who are still wearing their civilian clothes and the khaki badge of enlisted men. No fewer than 81 men who .went to Featherston with : the 20th Reinforcements were rejected on medical grounds at the preliminary examination in the camp. All these men had been' passed as fit for service at the time of their enlistment in their own districts, and some of them had made substantial sacrifices and travelled long distances, only to find, that they could not be allowed to wear the uniform. No previous draft had suffered so severely in this respect, und General Henderson, Director of Medical Services, told a Dominion reporter yesterday that he was making enquiries with the object of ascertaining if -any special reason existed for the large number of rejections. He fully realised, lie said, that real hardship might occur in thfc cases of men who were rejected as "unfit" after their arrival in camp, despite the fact that they had "been passed by medical officers in their own districts. He 'had asked for a report on the- subject, and if necessary he would constitute a board of enquiry. The men rejected in this way, it may be mentioned, are not stranded in Wellington. They are returned to their own districts at the cast of the Defence Department. The rejection of so many men by the camp medical staff suggests that distriot medical officers may have been tempted to relax their requirements owing to the shortage of recruits. There appears to be little doubt that the proportion of medically unfit men among those volunteering for service is increasing, as would be expected in view of the very heavy drain already made upon the manhood of the community. But there is nothing in the Wellington figures, at any rate, to show that the local examiners are lax. Of 0# men rejected in Wellington within the last few days, 3$ have been passed by the doctors so that over 42 per cent, were rejected as unfit. This would be regarded as «, lvigh percentage of rejections in any country. The men set down as "unfit'' include many \vho could be made available for service by medical treatment.