The Chronicle LEVIN. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER, 8, 1917, UNFIT MEN FOR ACTIVE SERVICE.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 8 September 1917, Page 2

The Chronicle LEVIN. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER, 8, 1917, UNFIT MEN FOR ACTIVE SERVICE.

XiiQ determination of the . iMlinueter of Defence for JS" ew Zealand to maintain undiminished the monthly drafts of reinforcements from this dominion will bring serious trouble to Jvew Zealand before another passes. This month's ballot (ft'or active service) of a doable number of names, to make up for last month's undrawn ballot serves to focus attention on the 'matter. This country cannot be conducted successfully by the old men and boys who will be left when all the second div-

lision men haive gone forward; and. <b,y the figures regarding .the Second Division it seems likely, that sis months will exhaust the list. Wttaere I will dominion stand (in | case) regarding the Defence Minister's resolve not to diminish the reinforcement rates? The fact is indiiispiftahle that [if reasonably numeov ous reinforcements can be maintained for a year or two longer the [Empire will he better served than would be the oase were the present too-gjre(a)t drafts maintained for six months or so and then allowed to drop to - the negligible numbers of serviceable men that the Third Division oould supply. The whole scheme of contingents land reinforcement ts from Nlew Zealand was born of perfervid enthusiasm that made no count of cost, and sent men to lay down theriir lives on Gallipoli in a ca.use ae hopeless and as unhelpful as that of Balaclava. Th,e dead, the honored and ; iglorioue dead are there—and peace be to their ashes—but they would be very useful men if. alive today. More than hlalf of them would be still alive had nob the superabundance of available men from New Zeavland and Australia led'. the British Caibinet to authorise . that fool's errand .to Gaillipoli, where our men died •gloriously in attempting thd (impossible, but gaive no help strategically, to the empire. It is time to-day, after three years oif bloody experience, for our administrators to use some local judgment on the matter of reinforcements for the British Government's displays as shown throughout; the war iand by the War Office have not been of a quality to justify acceptance of "that" standard as an unquestionable one.