The PELORUS GUARDIAN and Miners’ Advocate. FRIDAY APRIL 12, 1918. STILL MORE MEN.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 30, Issue 28, 12 April 1918, Page 2

The PELORUS GUARDIAN and Miners’ Advocate. FRIDAY APRIL 12, 1918. STILL MORE MEN.

The full text of the recent statement made by the Prime Minister (the Hon. W. F. Massey) regarding what measures New Zealand will take in response to Mr Lloyd George's appeal for more men, makes it clear that Cabinet is in favour of this country making still greater sacrifices if necessary. In view of the recent serious developments on the Western front, it is imperative that the Allied resistance must be increased to the utmost limit if the advancing hordes of Germans are to be permanently checked. The enemy has now a tremendous advantage in man-power, for the reason, that he is now able to practically concentrate his entire fighting force on a single front in the West. Owing to the continued strain on our troops, the number of reinforcements .will probably have to be doubled, and the need for more men is a real and essential one. New Zealand has already responded magnificently, but we feel confident that Mr Lloyd George's appeal to the Dominions for more assistance to meet the critical stage which the war has now reached will result in a speeding up in the forwarding of our reinforcement drafts. The suggestion has been made in military circles that the most effective way

for New Zealand to respond to the re-1 quest for more men is to create an additional brigade or brigades from troops already in England and undertake to reinforco the new units as well as the Now Zealand division. This arrangement would involve an immediate increase in the reinforcement quota. The extent of the increase would depend, apparently, upon official reports as to the rate of wastage under present conditions on the West front.» It would appear, however, from figures recently quoted by the Defence Minister that New Zealand stands in a good position in the matter of reserves at present available in England and France. The number of troops sent from New Zealand has been in the neighbourhood of 90,000. The Minister, has said that the strength of the New Zealand Division, the Mounted Brigade, the Tunnellers, and certain smaller units requiring to .be reinforced totals 23,243 men. Nearly 17,000 men have been returned to the Dominion, and about 11,000 are dead, missing, or prisoners. Then there are the sick and wounded men in hospital in Englanaand Trance. After allowing for these men, very many of whom will eventually return to their regiments, it is evident that the New Zealand Command has a large body of troops in reserve. The distribution of reserves and the number that can be eifectively absorbed are of course questions for the guidance of the military authorities, who must be prepared also for a large number of additional men being required to replace the casualty gaps. The Defence Department has always recognised the necessity of maintaining adequate reserves. Up to the present our fighting forces have been kept up to full strength and fitness and have never failed to achieve distinction in their engagements with the enemy. As the Prime Minister pointed out, New Zealand is so far away from the scene of operations that the reserves must be in England or France if they are to be available when they are wanted. An increase in reinforcements at this end cannot begin to have effect in the field for at least six months, owing to the period of training and the time occupied in transport. If the Government should decide to increase reinforcements, there will be no military or technical difficulties to face. The training organisation and the camps are already in existence. Extra equipment can be secured without difficulty. The camps since the reduction of reinforcements, have been wcrking very far below their full capacity, and if it were thought desirable now they could . receive at least 10,000 additional recruits at short notice. But the feeling in military circles is that the response to the appeal for more men is not likely to take the form of an immediate big draft. The transport difficulty would loom very large if anything of this nature were attempted, and the necessity for maintaining reinforcements for the remainder of the wa,r an indefinite and possibly t prolonged period, is another consideration.