NEW ZEALAND'S PART.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 15267, 1 May 1915, Page 10

NEW ZEALAND'S PART.

STIRRING SPEECH BY HON. J.

ALLEN,

THE CALL FOR MEN

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE

FUTURE

INTERESTING ENLISTMENT

FIGURES

(press association telegram.)

DUNEDIN, April 30

At a recruiting meeting in the Garrison' Hall to-night, the Minister of Defence made a stirring speech, urging young men to enlist.

In the' course of his remarks Mr Allen gave some interesting figures regarding recruiting and the number of men that would be required in future. Considering tho magnitude of the operations developing, the Government had considered it its duty to offer to the Mother Country an additional number of men, and had offered another battery of artillery and another brigade of mounted men or two battalions of infantry. Tho battery and battalions of infantry had been accepted. On the previous night he had referred, to the fact that Now Zealand had already sent 10,000 men to the front and. over 1400 men to occupy Samoa, in addition to which 250 New Zealanders in London had enlisted and joined tho irain body, and 62 nurses had gone away—so to the order of tho Imperial Army Council to proceed wherever thoy were told, and twelve who had joined the Australian _ nursing contingent which was going to the front. That night ho wished to say something about the requirements for the Before December 12th the authorities would require 10,600 men and approximately 3700 horses. This was in accordance with our engagements with the War Office. Then between December 12 th and April of next year 5300 men and approximately 1500 horses would be required; that was to say, that between now and April, 1916. the authorities in New Zealand would require ck-se on IG/KX) men and nearly 5200 horses. Under the new scheme of registration for enlistment whichcamo into force on February loth. 1915, the following numbers had been ..registered: —• Auckland district ... 3054 Wellington district ... 1972 Canterbury district . ~. 2090 Otago district •••, B^4 Total ... ... 7960 He did not wish to make any adverse comment upon the figures relating to Otago, but .he belonged to the place, and it was generally the case that Otago was not left behind in any movement of great moment. As he had said, 10,600 men were required before 12th December next, bnt the registration ought to be considerably in excess of that number, as they had to allow for about 40 per cent, of medical rejects. In future this country would liave to - make provision that there would never be 40 per cent, unfitted ; for enrolment again, should tho necessity arise. It was our duty to make provision among the children to remove some of the defects, and an effort was being made to do this now. Aβ the figures he had given showed, between the present time and December 12th. each of the four districts ought to find, inclusive of 40 per cent, for medical rejects, about 4350 men, or a total.of 17,400 men. It had been suggested that the Government should provide a badge for those who had registered and had been turned down by the doctors, in order that these men might not have their loyalty or courage aspersed, but ho did not know if the Government could adopt a badge/ He wished that he could devise a scheme by which one might know thoie who were serving and those who could serve an & were not doing so. Mr Allen said he also wished to refer to so?n e other figures of .interest by wav of reply to criticism which, had appeared in the "Manchester Guardian" in England to. the effect, as he understood it. that the men who were enlisting in.'New. Zealand" were not New Zealanders, but Britishers, who had come out and settled in New Zealand. In reply to that he had to say that of the main body that went away—a strength of 8417—n0 fewer than 6241 were actually born in New Zealand. The others wore born in the British Isles or»other parts of the Empire, but how long they had been in New Zealand he was not able to say. - Those figures; however, were a complete answer to the "Manchester Guardian." He thought it-was unfair of a British newspaper to have set itself to work to discredit New Zealand without having taken the trouble to communicate with the au-thorities-in New Zealand on the subject.