PICK OF THE NATION

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20911, 16 September 1939, Page 9

PICK OF THE NATION

SPECIAL VOLUNTEERS RECRUITING TO CONTINUE MINISTER’S GRATIFICATION (By TelegTHntv—Pw= Sccnelnttnn) WELLINGTON, Friday “The response this week from the young manhood of New Zealand has been truly magnificent.,” said the Minister of Defence, the Hon. F. Jones, today. “Not only in numbers, but also in physique, the volunteers who rushed us on the first day and who have been coming forward steadily every day since are among the pick of the nation, and in every way worthy of the fine traditions established by New Zealand troops in the South African War and thg Great War. “The flow continues and although our requirements for immediate training are more than filled, it has been decided to continue taking enlistments,

for, as the acting-Prime Minister stated in the House of Representatives this afternoon, after the first 6600 men have completed their training, they will be followed into camp by further echelons according to a regular prearranged plan. “Shortly we hope to be able to assist would-be volunteers in other than the main centres by opening recruiting offices nearer to their homes. I fully recognise that so far recruits from country districts and from outlying townships have been put to considerable trouble to reach the army offices. For example, there is at present no place of enlistment between Dunedin and Invercargill, a distance of almost 140 miles, nor between Gisborne and Napier, which is even further.

“This obstacle has not deterred hundreds of young men, who have travelled long distances to present themselves for service, but it will be only fair, so far as we can manage it, to give smaller centres equal facilities with those already provided in the centres.”