LIABLE FOR DRAFT

Taranaki Daily News, 10 September 1940, Page 8

LIABLE FOR DRAFT

By Telegraph—Press Association.

FORMER VOLUNTEERS TEMPORAR1LY UNFIT MEN

Wellington, Last Night. In a further statement to-day the Hon. R. Semple, Minister of National Service, said considerable misunderstanding existed regarding the issue of certificates of enrolment to first division reservists. who had volunteered for overseas service and had been rejected on medical grounds. "Such men," said the Minister, "remain members of the first division and as such are liable to be called in the ballot and required to undergo further medical examination. "Many of these men will previously have been rejected for comparatively minor defects, some of them of a defmitely temporary nature, and it would be obviously unfair to exclude them from ballots when by the time they are drawn they may have regained perfect health," said Mr. Semple. Publication Amendment. The Minister also said the Government had decided that a departure would be made from the procedure followed during the last war in the gazetting of names of men drawn in the ballots. The procedure was then to indicate men who had previously volunteered by inserting a star before their names in the printed lists. This would not- be done on this occasion as it was not desired to make any distinction between those who had volunteered and those selected for service by means of the ballot. The Gazette notices would, however, contain a statement that names appearing in the list included men who had volunteered and been found to be medically unfit.