SHORTAGE OF MEN.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 September 1916, Page 3

SHORTAGE OF MEN.

CONSCRIPTION INEVITABLE SOON. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Wellington, September 20. The military districts have not been able to fullil the instruction issued last week by Defence Headquarters that the shortages in the drafts for the 21st Reinforcements were to be made up today. Supplementary drafts have gone into camp during the day, but they have merely reduced the shortage, which maintains substantial proportions. Exact figures will not be available until to-morrow. The Defence authorities have not stated what their next move will be, but it is significant that the group officers liave been told to send forward no more men for the present. The present shortage, which includes the shortage carried forward from the 20th Reinforcements, probably exceeds 400 men. The Defence authorities can afford to suffer this deficiency for the next few weeks if bliey-are sure of getting a full supply of men later, since the reserve, though not containing its nominal number of 1000 men, is large enough to keep the outgoing drafts at full strength. But this course will make it essential that the compulsory clauses of the Military Service Act shall be brought into operation at the earliest possible moment, and the indications are that the Headquarters Staff, which must advise the Recruiting Board in a matter of this kind, is disposed to regard conscription within the next two months as inevitable. The appeals made to the men of the Dominion to maintain the voluntary system intact have not produced an adequate response. Unexpected delay has occurred in the appointment of the military appeal boards, which were to have been set up last week. .Now that these boards are ,in existence it will be possible for the Department to set in motion the machinery provided in clause 35 of the Act, for the compulsory enlistment of members of families containing several sons who have not volunteered for service. The figures gathered by the fiecruiting Board suggest that many hundreds of men can be made liable for immediate service under this clause. How soon? the general provisions of the Act 'can operate is still uncertain since the Government Statistician ca::not say ex-' actly when he will be able to provide the necessary rolls. The issue of certificates of enrolment to the members of the Expeditionary Force Reserve is likely to proceed until the end of October, and the pursuit of laggards and shirkers is not expected to be completed until much later. It will be difficult in the meantime to raise conscript drafts in any part of the country without giving an advantage to the men who have attempted to dodge their duty, since

the basis of the drafts must be tha official rolls. A fear has been expressed that the training of conscripts is going to l>u more difficult than the training of volunteers, and that the work of the camps may not proceed as swiftly under the new conditions as under the old. The experience of the Army authorities in the United Kingdom does not support this idea. It was found in the Mother Country that the vast majority of the •'pressed men" accepted the inevitable in good heart; very many of them were heartily glad to have theii minds made up for them. A certain, number of objectors and irreconcilable* had to be dealt with, but these individuals did not make serious trouble. The military authorities in New Zealand are of opinion that conscripts will find the spirit of willing service irresistibly infectious when they get into camp. For the sullen and insubordinate, if there are any, the penalties will be swift and certain.