ENLISTMENT IN NEW ZEALAND

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 18, 22 January 1916, Page 8

ENLISTMENT IN NEW ZEALAND

10 THE EDITOR.

Sj rj —What is the use of pin- flattering, ourselves that we are doing our full share in bearing the Empire's burden in the present crisis, when we knowthat we are not doing anything of the sort? i. The United Kingdom, with a population of 47 millions, has enlisted or attested over four million men; New Zealand, with a population of over one million, lias raised about 46,000 men. The above figures mean that in Britain one person in every twelve of the population is a soldier, or will be, but in NewZealand only one in every twenty-four wears khaki. The argument that our reinforcements for 1916 will greatly modify this discrepancy does not hold good. Even when we have raised 60,000 we shall have only contributed one in eighteen of the population, and we have no reason for thinking that Britain will be content with her present numbers. .

It must also be remembered that 'Britain is employing a vast number in making munitions, as well as to a great extent keeping up her export trade. I know of no instance in - New Zealand where in any trade women have been employed to any marked extent to fill the places of men who have enlisted; neither are we making munitions, except for our own forces. I say without fear of my statement being disproved that by properly organising our resources we could raise 100,000 men for oversea service and still carry on our essential industries. Of course, we could not do this without some form,of compulsion, so we.shall probably not make any attempt to do it. This being the case, for goodness sake let us cease pretending that we are doing all that we possibly can. Our masters, the Red Federation, say that there shall be "no compulsion," and in spite of veiled hints, Messrs. Massey and Allen know very well that they dare not enforce it. Above all things, let us have " personal liberty," especially when we can find other people fools .enough to go and fight to maintain that "liberty" for us (with ho risk to our own skins). '

No doubt there is a war on "somewhere in Europe," but, of course, it will come out ail right. It always does, and it is so far away that it Teally does not much concern us. So. let us continue to have our Tace meetings, etc., and it' seems only decent to turn out to give a feeble cheer to the plucky (but improvident) young- men who are going to look for trouble. We have got our billets to think of, you see, and as for actually enlisting, well, soldiers are such rough, common fellows, you know, and when they are at the front they have to work more than 7 Hours a day, and don't even get Saturday afternoons and Sundays off. When it is all over (unless something unthinkable happens) we shall be able to say that "we helped to win the war, you know"; in fact, I shall not be surprised if some of those who refused to take unnecessary risks do not persuade themselves that we actually won it "off our own bats."— I am, etc.,

LIBEBTAS. ' Wellington, 15th. January. .' [Our correspondent, like many others, makes the mistake of comparing British enlistment totals with the numbers New Zealand has actually sent to the front and has in training. The comparison, is a false one, as it fails to credit New Zealand with- the number of men who have enlisted and . been medically rejected. This number may be reckoned at about one-third, which, on a total of 46,000 sent abroad and in camp, would make the total number of men enlisted in New Zealand 69,000. That, however, is only on the 46,000 total.' In addition, several-thousand men passed. as fit are still on the waiting list, and a proportionate number have been rejected. The total _ number "of men enlisted in New Zealand to date, therefore, may .be put down at fully 70,000. Great Britain, to do the same on a population basis, would require ,to enlist 3,150,000. Considering that the New Zealand response has been ■ made without the launching of any special recruiting campaign, the result must be considered distinctly creditable to New Zealand's manhood, especially as there is still no falling off in the rate of recruitment. Regarding the Derby figures, and what Great Britain has done in calling up men as compared with New Zealand, it is as well to point put that the Derby figures provide for months ahead, and no one outside of the War Office knows the exact number of men Great Britain, has placed in the field, has in .training, and her future commitments. All we know is what New Zealand is doing. Our present commitments are to supply just on 100,000 men in the event of the war lasting three years. Great Britain, to do the same on a population basis, will require to supply not less than 4,500,000 men apart from garrison troops at Home, and in India and Egypt.] . - •