NEW ZEALAND'S PART.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16589, 12 July 1917, Page 4

NEW ZEALAND'S PART.

MEN ON SERVICE. MINISTER'S TRIBUTE. [BY TELEGRAPHSPECIAL CORRESPONDENT] WELLINGTON, Wednesday. Referring in his speech in the House of Representatives last night to the number of men New Zealand had sent to the war, Sir James Allen, Minister for Defence, said that, including 9024 men in training, the total sent from New Zealand amounted to 86,402. Originally 500 Maoris were sent, and since then 1757 Maoris had enlisted. Nine Islanders demanded that they should go, and 143 men went. Rarotonga had sent 193 men. and a few days ago he had a letter from an officer commanding them in far-off Palestine, with a record any man would be proud of. They were carrying ammunition, and they did their work so splendidly that they received special thanks from the General Officer Commanding. Their camp was the cleanest camp there. The Engineer Tunnelling Company was over 400 men. lie had seen their record, and a paragraph comparing their work with the work of others, including British. He did not want to create in the minds of New ZeaJanders any excess feeling of pride, but New Zealand had tho right to he proud of the work done bv the New Zealand Tunnellers. He wished to ask the miners of this country whether thev desired to see the Main Body Tunnellers" Corps decrease because we are not plucky enough to keep up reinforcements. There was our little band of 62 wireless men serving New Zealand and the Empire in Mesopotamia. Did anybody wish them to diminish to nothing ? Ha could not believe it.