THE FIRST DIVISION.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 June 1917, Page 4

THE FIRST DIVISION.

VOLUNTARY ENLISTMENT CLOSES •ON SATURDAY. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, June 13. The Hecruiting Board at its meeting yesterday decided that voluntary enlistment of reservists of the First Division of the Expeditionary Force Reserve is not to be continued after Saturday, 2:trl June, when recruiting for the 33rd Reinforcements closes. The present position is that voluntary recruiting ia now open for the 33rd and 34th Reinforcements, which are due to mobilise for training in August and September respectively. This means that a member of the First Division who now volunteers for the 34th draft is not due to parade for camp until September. In view of the. near exhaustion of the First Division of the Reserve, it is necessary to prohibit further voluntary enlisting of reservists of that division, as otherwise they would be able to postpone the date when they would be due to proceed tb camp until after the commencement of the ballots for the Second Division reservists.

Exception will be made, however, in the case of youths who are now approaching' their 20th birthday, which is the age at which they become liaole for military service. A youth who desires to voluntarily enlist on reaching military age will be permitted to do so in the month in which he reaches that age, and he will then be required to go into camp with the first draft leaving his one month thereafter. Voluntary recruiting will still be open, of course, tn members of the Second Division of the Reserve.—J. Allen, chairman of Recruiting Board.