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RECRUITING
LAGS
People "Sick Of
Uniforms"
CANRERRA, January 9.
A belief that "most Aus-
tralians are sick of uniforms
and now haw the choice of
a variety of jobs," was given to-
day by the Minister for the
Army (Mr. Chambers) as the
reason" for the slow rate of re
cruiting for the permanent
Australian Army.
From Melbourne yesterday itl
was reported that enlistments
bad increased the permanent
army to only 4,100 men from
2,500 last August, when the Gov
ernment decided to begin re
cruiting.
The present strength of the
interim army is about 21.000. in
cluding 10,000 in Japan who re
enlisted for two years.
Discussing the lack of -re
cruits, Mr. Chambers said:—
"Never before in Australia's nis
tory have there been such op
portunities for employment.
When jobs were scarce the army
always got plenty of recruits."
New Uniforms
He thought that, as most Aus
tralian families had fathers, or
sons and daughters- in the ser
vices, they were utterly war
weary and wanted a change of
occupation. Be hoped the new
walking-out uniform would be
ready Then the new militia ser
vice began in July.
Mr. Chambers said that the
Government had not abandoned
or modified its plans to recruit
a permanent Australian Army
of 19.000.
Commenting on a Sydney re
port that the Government would
now rely indefinitely on its in
terim army, Mr. Chambers said
that the recruiting campaign
for the permanent army would
continue" It would be intensi
fied in the middle of the year,
when the new uniforms would
be ready. The Government
would continue to re-enlist
members of the interim army
instead of discharging them
progressively.
This is a continuation of the
Dolicv announced last June by
the Defence Minister (Mr. Ded-
Iman) who said that non-per-.
manent defence personnel serv
ing in the interim army and ex
service personnel would be re
cruited into the permanent
forces as early as practicable.
The Defence programme pro
vides for a total strength of
69.000 men—l9,ooo permanent
iforces and 50,000 citizen militia
I forces.
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