THE SECOND DIVISION.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 May 1917, Page 7

THE SECOND DIVISION.

FIRST DIVISION TO BE CLEARED OUT FIRST. (From Our Own Correspondent). Wellington, May 23. The mobilisation of reservists of the Second Division is not to lie undertaken until the CI and C2 men of the First Division, the temporarily unfit and home service groups, have 'been re-examined and classified. This decision lias beeu reached by the military authorities, though it has not yet•been announced officially, and the details are now under consideration.

The handling of the classes of the Reserve present' • considerable difficulties, and it should be understood .that a certain amount of overlapping i 3 likely'to prove inevitable Whatever arrangements are made. The Defence Department must have 2000 odd recruits every fourweekly period, and if it tried to 'wash up" the First Division completely before taking any men-from the Second Division men would probably dribble in over a period of several weeks and the,training drafts in camp, already short of their full ijonrplemcnt, would de depleted to a point of danger, . But. a,fter giving due regard to the necessity'of securing a rcgulat and adequate supply,of recruits,* .the Defence authorities wijl do their ut-' most to see that the Second Division meii-are not ca'U?d up a'day earlier, than, is absolutely necessary. They realise : that .thejip must be no slackness in. the -final stages of tho mobilisation of the fit available men of, the First Division. ~