Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-03-17
new RECRUITING
SYSTEM PLANNED
FOR CANADIANS
Sixty Thousand Canadian Troops
in Great Britain Waiting to Go
to the Front and 10000 Drill
ing in Canada

Montreal March 16.-While con-
scription for the present will not take
place in Canada there is without
doubt, a system Of registration OF all
men of military age which will be put
into force in every district where re-
cruiting is not UP to what the military
officials think it ought to be. The first
district in which the new recruiting
system will be inaugurated will be
what is known as the 4th DIVISION.
which is commanded by Brig. General
Wilson, G. 0. c.. and includes that
territory around Montreal. This was
decided on last night at meeting OF
the special committee of the Citizens
Recruiting Association and the omcers
of the Montreal garrison.
The scheme is to be worked out by
the sending out Of circular letter TO
every employer Of labor, with re-
quest that he furnish the committee
complete list Of all employees VINO are
physically fit and available TOT over
seas service. This means that there
will be practically a registration OF
every man between the ages OF Is anu
AZ Years Of age in the 4th military as
trict at the headquarters OF tnat OIL
vision.
The next step will be to have each
man visited personally by lhii'a.s
man engaged in recruiting When tne
prospective candidate will be asKeo u
state any good reason why ne cannot
enlist. -,
The form which will be sent out Will
have the following titles on the oiahks
to be filled in. Full name, home ao-
dress. age, whether married or slneie'
his nationality. his trade, Where ne Is
at present employed, with space LETT
for remarks by the employees con-
corning himself. 1t Is to include every
British Canadian employee resident IN
Montreal and the western part OF the
prov ince Of Quebec. apparently suit
able and fit for the service with the
Canadian expeditionary force" and the
paper will then be returned to military
headquarters at Montreal.
The lists will then be sorted and
then divided among the different bat
talions. and non commissioned officers
and men from these battalions will
visit each man at his home or at his
Office and ask him to enlist in their
battalion.
1t is believed that the mere fact OF
having their names on list as avail
able will induce many men to enlist
at once.
The Province Of Quebec is far behind
in recruiting that of any other prov
ince, only about $4,000 having enlisted
here 80 far. The most Of these have
been of the English speaking people.
only two French-Canadian regiments
having been recruited here.
There are now no less than five regi-
ments recruiting here and the outlook
is nowise encouraging. as men are Of
fering themselves in very small num-
bers. Those regiments which have al
ready been recruited here for the last
nine months have so far not reached
the firing line and $4,000 have been
waiting for a long time in Great Bril-
tain who left here last summer. 9th
er regiments have been waiting on
few hours notice for the last three
months but no transportation has been
offered and they have not left their
barracks in Canada yet. There are
about 100000 now in training in Can
ada for active service.