Extra Men for Infantry.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16825, 16 April 1918, Page 6

Extra Men for Infantry.

" Our ability to send these reinforcements depends entirely upon shipping, and I want to give somo indication, though I am not giving direct figures, what the possibilities are as far as wo can foresee for the next four or five months, During the months of April, May and June we expect to be able to increase the reinforcements by about 1700 men. The increase asked for is only with respect to infantry and all tho extra men will bo infantrymen. Tho percentage we have been sending in other units is to remain unaltered. The shipping we can foresee will provide for the extra 1700 men during April, May and Juno. Then during July, August and September, I think we can continue to send a somewhat considerable number mora men than we have been Bonding under the lower percentage. "In order to enable this number of men to bo provided we will utilise all the troops at present in camo. Wo can expect an immediate transfer from the CI camp of nearly 400 men with another 300 after a fairly short time. It will bo necessary for us to bring drafts into camp at a rather earlier date than would otherwise have been the case. I have already said that the forty-first draft will come in earlier, and so will the fortysecond and forty-third. With these three drafts coming in earlier and with the accretions we expect from the First Divi—which will also be acceleratedwith the men that I hopo the Minister for Railways will be able to give me from tho Railway Department at a rather earlier period than was expected, with men from the CI camp and with volunteers, the men required will be provided. The first ballot in B Class of tho Second Division takes place to-morrow. I think that it will be advisable now to open to volunteering C Class and D Class of the Second Division—married men with two children and three children. I do not know if we will get a very largo number of men, but if men wish to volunteer it seems advisable to allow them to do so. A Member: Why not open it for all classes? Filling All Available Ships. I Sir Jame* Allen: I think that C and D classes will be sufficient at present. It certainly will be sufficient an far as our shipping is concerned. With regard to Class B, wo propose to ballot to-morrow for 10,000 men. The class contain.? between fB,OOO and 19,000 men, and we' pro--1 pose to draw more than half of them at this ballot. We expect to procure enough men by this means to fill all the shipping we know of up to August or September. It may be possible to secure some further shipping. Of that we have no certainty. If we secure more ships we may be able to send a few more men awav. If more men are required it may be necessary to | consider tho sine die cases still further. (Hear, hear.) These cases have been under review recently, and some 840 of them have been ordered into camp. There are between 6000 and 7000 sine die cases. Most of the men are engaged in essential industries; they include coal miners, slaughtermen, seamen, marine officers and engineers, a certain number of farmers, and all the hardship cases. I propose to bring before Cabinet the question of the reconsideration of the sine dio cases, and ask what is their wish regarding combing out. Review of Temporary Exemptions. " We propose to review the cases of reservists who have been granted leave for certain periods. There are somo men, who, after the reduction of tho percentage of reinforcements, were granted longer periods of leave than they otherwise would have obtained, because we did not want them then. We do want them now. I have instructed the Defence Department to communicate .with the Military Service Boards and ask them to review these leave cases. Mr. W. H. Field : " Is thero to bo any further re-examination of rejected men?" _ Sir James Allen: Most of the First Division C2 men have been re-examined. I do not think it is advisable to re-examine any of those who have been further rejected by tho special Medical Board, A great many of tho C2 men have been sent into the CI camp. In the case of the Second Division men, the medical examination is stricter and I hope that it will not be necessary to reviews any of thel C2 cases of tho Second Division.