NEW ZEALAND'S DUTY.

Manawatu Times, Volume XL, Issue 1372811, 11 July 1917, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND'S DUTY.

Notable Speech by Allen. Our Total Casualties. Disclosed For First Time.

[Our Parliamentary Representative.] [By Telegraph.] WELLINGTON, Last Night.

The Minister of Defence, Sir James Allen, made a speech in the House tonight which created a great impression by reason of striking facts. He disclosed the New Zealand casualty totals for the first time, this being the basis of a strong, eloquent plea to the Dominion not to falter in its duty to the men who have died and not to relinquish its glorious place in the Empire's struggles, when the vietory climax is approaching. After reviewing New Zealand's liberal scale of pensions, showing that we compare favourably with Australia, the Minister referred to the agitation of the early days of the war to send more men, and the Government's decision, with the concurrence of the Imperial authorities, to keep up a steady flow of reinforcements rather than to rush all available men forward. "I hope," said the Minister (and this was his constantly reiterated declaration during the speech), "nothing will be done to decrease the reinforcements, that the men of the Main Body will fall below the present strength." Mr Payne: "Not even if you bleed New Zealand to death?" Sir James Allen: "If we were to lose this war, would not that be a worse bleeding than the sacrifice of our sons?"

Mr Payne: "Let America do her part!" Sir James Allen went on to say that our Expeditionary Force was deliberately set up after consultation with and at the request of the Imperial Government that men of the Main Body should be steadily reinforced. "I have made this promise over and over again. I stand by it to the last, and whatever may be our fate, New Zealand will do its duty and fill the places of the men who have been killed or wounded."

The percentage of reinforcements had been reduced. He trusted that the War Office would be able to again reduce the percentage. Members: "How many men have we sent?"

Sir James Allen: "The original body sent to Samoa was 1955. We have sent to the front 74,000 (as well as the British section of New Zealanders, 214), to the Royal Flying Corps, 18; to the Royal Naval Auxiliary Patrol, 190; to the Imperial Reserves (men who had left New Zealand), 211; to the crew of the Philomel, 159; also some as guards for the German prisoners of war, and 436 nurses who went from New Zealand.—All honour to them. (Applause). Including these, and 9024 men in training, the total sent from New Zealand amounts to 86,402. The men in training will provide four months' reinforcements. We sent 500 Maoris originally. Since then they have been drawn from our Maori brothers 1757 men. What white man is now going to say he won't do his duty—not one! The Niue Islanders demanded that they should go, and 148 men went. I much regret that they were sent against our wish from Egypt to the Western front, and the climate was so severe that they were brought back and were restored to their homes and are settling down. They are going to demand presently that the Territorial scheme be extended to their island. Raratonga has sent 163 men. The Tunnelling Corps has sent 400, but were not plucky enough to keep up reinforcements. There is our little band of 62 wireless men, serving New Zealand and the Empire in Mesopotamia.

"It is not for me to tell the story of Gallipoli and the other battlefields which have made the-name of the New Zealanders famous. Shall we hesitate to reinforce them and keep the Main Body up to strength? I may remind members who think New Zealand is bleeding to death that these men, sick and wounded, are coming baek in considerable numbers." The Minister stated thatthe men returned totalled 10.547, and discharged 8,573. "We may be proud of the fact," he continued, "that out of the total returned, no less than 1,238, perhaps owing to their voyage or good conditions in their own country, have been restored to health and have gone back to fight." A member: "Good on them!" (Applause). Sir James Allen: "And so say I, not because I don't believe that any Second Division man would be unwilling for a moment to replace any of those men and let them stay at home if they wished. There's another 20 waiting to go to the front again, 412 awaiting discharge, 234 under treatment in hospital, and 14 are on special leave. I regret that 47 have passed away since they came back, 7 have deserted, and 2 are in prison. "Over 26,000 men have Suffered casualtiea up till July 3, and I more than regret to say that out of that total, 7500 will never see New Zealand again. It is a big list. I have not published it before and I don't like publishing it now, but the time has come when one must tell these things. The men missing total lOOO; 71 are prisoners of war; and 18,879 New Zealanders havo suffered wounds. The men who havo recovered and rejoined the ranks amount to 01 per cent, of the total wounded. I pray that the war may end this year; then wc shall not have to call upon the Second Division, but if it goes over the winter and passes into the next summer, then some classes at ar.y rate of the Second Division will receive the call of duty. "I don't know what percentage the reinforcements may be. When the War Office reconsiders the questions, I shall be only toe glad to know. It may be reduced and instead of sending 2,200 men every four weeks, we may send something less, so long as wo keep up the Main Body's full strength till the war is won. I want to be in at the finish. I want our men to be there. We want to be there so that wo may feel that wc have played our part right up to the end, that we never shirked, we did not grow weary, we did not grow faint or become down-hearted at the last moment." (Cheers).