A NINTH CONTINGENT.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIII, Issue 16, 20 January 1902, Page 4

A NINTH CONTINGENT.

There are many indications that the military authorities in South Africa are preparing for a supreme effort to put a speedy end to the war, and we believe that a lavish expenditure for the attainment of this object would be true economy. The cost oi! maintaining1 the large body of Boer prisoners now interned, besides 113 000 refugees in the Boer concentration camps, is considerable, apart from the v.ast military expenditure. A general movement to (overwhelm the scattered Doer forces is necessary, but so wide are the spaces to be covered, and so long- the lines of communication to be maintained, that even the large army now operating in South Africa is inadequate f,or the task. It would not be advisable.j in view of possible Eiiropean complications, to denude either Great Britain or India of troops, and men suitable for mounted infantry corps are not readily recruited in the Home country. We shall mot be surprised, therefore, if the intimation given by Mr Seddon at the Wellington meeting, to the effect that if the Imperial Government desh-ed more men the colony would respond, is taken advantage of. The announcement was received with applause, and we have no doubt the meeting expressed the general feeling of the country. It was evident from the eager response to the last call that there would be no difficulty in getting another contingent of 1000 men. And although we do not wish to lose so many of our population even temporarily, we must not forget that the training of these young men will prove of the highest value to the colony as a defensive measure. The men are drilled at the Imperial cost, jvnd this will place at our disposal a valuable which can be called upon in future to defend our own country should the need arise. Mr Barton, Prime Minister of the Australian Commonwealth, has publicly stated that any further call for men made by the Imperial authorities wnl be cheerfully responded to. On the basis of population, for every 1000 men sent by New Zealand Australia might send^ 5000. It would be easy, therefore to raise 12,000 Australasian troops for service in South Africa, a force equal probably to the whole of the Boer commandoes now in the field. The despatch of such an Army Corps, fully equipped with horses, would be a striking object lesson to the nations of Eiirope, and that might in itself be worth ail the

sacrifice involved by the tax placed upon our energies.

[Since the foregoing article was in type we have received a telegram stating that the Imperial Goycr-.-.-ment have'asked for another 1000 men, and the Premier is how consulting members of Parliament on the subject by wire.]