HOME DEFENCE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 May 1939, Page 4

HOME DEFENCE

EXPANSION OF TERRITORIAL FORCE MEN WANTED UP TO 35 YEARS OF AGE. ADDRESS BY MINISTER. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. An announcement that the question of expanding the Territorial Force was now under consideration was made by the Minister of Defence, Mr Jones, in an address to army publicity officers on. Saturday. He said that no action would be taken in this direction till the report by Major-General P. J. Mackesy on the land forces of the Dominion had been received. Mi- Jones said that service for home defence, and home defence only, would be required of the Territorial Force. There appeared to be a misapprhension on the frart of the public in; this respect and his statement should make the position clear. The Minister expressed his appreciation of the effective work which the publicity officers had performed during the past year, and said that tangible evidence of the value of their services was the fact that they had brought the Territorial Force up to over peace-time establishment and doubled the number of serving territorials (vho had gone to camp this year. He was impressed by the splendid type of recruit now offering for home defence.

The age-limit at present for enlistment was 32, and up to 35 in special cases. He asked the publicity officers to concentrate on placing this point before the public, as the Territorial Force undoubtedly required more men of the right type between the ages of, say, 25 and 35. Mr Jones referred to the very good attendance at the annual camps held this year, and expressed the’hope that the important camps still to be held of the mounted rifle and infantry units would be equally valuable, and that every serving territorial who for various reasons had not been able to go to his own unit camp, would attend one of the refresher courses to be held during May.