DOMINIONS' WAR POWER.

North Otago Times, Volume CV, Issue 13929, 11 July 1917, Page 3

DOMINIONS' WAR POWER.

To the Editor ot the Times,

Sir,—Allow me to take up some of your valuable space in reply to part of your leading article of even date. Comparisons are always odious at the best of times, but when they are not fair it makes them worse. Only a few days ago it was stated by the Prime Minister of Australia that they had live divisions at the Front, In your article of to-day you only give that country credit for four divisions to keep up to their full fighting strength, With reference to vonr statement regarding the number of men Australia

should have in the field, Can you disprove that they have not already that number of men on active service? As a matter of fact, Australia promised half a million men, On the basis of population New Zealand would require to send ]"5.000 men. When the matter of conscription went before the Australians it was not placed before tlioin as tho press leads us here in New Zealand to, believe. Australia promised five divisions, and reinforcements for those live divisions, When conscription went before the Australians it meant entirely: Have we enough reinforcements for our five divisions, or have we not? And it being proved that they had enough soldiers in England to keep those divisions in the tiring line up to full strength for five months (tliar was allowing a certain percentage of casualties) they turned conscription down, and rightly too, as it was no use commencing a thinning out before it was absolutely proved necessary. On the other hand, in New Zealand our Minister of Defence promised 2,10(1 men per month, which is a totally* different thing to what our comrades in arms promised by offering reinforcements for their five divisions. When placing those matters and figures before the public it would be much simpler to small minds like my own if the correct figures were given, and nor have so many contradictions in the press, Then again. Why is it that we are getting so many articles, and so much correspondence in our papers, about tho numbers that are being taken out of our fair land? Is it because the Second Division are soon to have a chance of doing iheir bit? Before conscription was commenced in New Zealand any amount of our Second Division men were saying tliey only wished they had the chance of doing what the younger population were doiny, but would not push themselves in while there were single men hanging about the street, who could be at the front, and were in a much better position to go, as they had no one dependent upon them, except in a few rare cases. Where are these brave wouldbe heroes now? You can ilud them in a hundred and one different places discussing the subject of inadequate pay to soldiers, ete. Of course they have waited till the First Division's eleventh hour, and why? Because they know that ere the twelfth hour has departed they themselves will have to share in the soldiers' (?) profits, I hope, Sir, that I have not taken up too much of your valuable space; but as a New Zealander would like at least that British fair play should be dealt out to our comrades in arms, the Australians, as regards the patriotic spirit they have shown, and not to have their numbers underestimated and their patriotism undervalued by our press at this critical time—l am, etc.,

FAIR DEAL, Oamarti, October, 9th July, 1017,