MORE MEN

Southland Times, Issue 17484, 27 July 1915, Page 3

MORE MEN

NATIONAL REGISTRATION ADVOCATED. DEPUTATION TO MINISTER OFDEFENCE. (Per United Press Association.) WELLINGTON. July 2G. A deputation of 'Wellington citizens waited on the Minister for Defence (the lion. James Allen) this afternoon to urge the Government to prepare a. national register of the men eligible for service and to ask the Imperial authorities to accept at arranged intervals double the number of men at present being sent. The committee which drafted the resolution for presentation to the Minister was Messrs H. F. Von Haast. G. K. Smith, J. Macintosh, and S. A. Atkinson. Sir John Findlay was also present and made a strong appeal for an increase in the number of men to be sent. The Minister in reply said that he Was very glad to realise the spirit that had animated the members of the deputation in coming to him and placing their views before him. He believed that the people of Ngw Zealand as a body wanted to do e'verything that lay in their power to assist the Empire in the present crisis in its existence, and the only difference of opinion that could arise was with respect to the direction in which the dominion's effort should he made. "I should like first of all to deal with the question of a national register," said the -Minister. "1 am entirely in sympathy with tlie idea ami I go perhaps further than some of you go: in my opinion a national register would lie of comparatively little value unless it covered not merely the men who are fit for the firing line but tlie whole of tlie labour of tile country ( Hear. hear). I have realised for a considerable? time that a national register must come sooner or later, and I believe that before very long Now Zealand will have to compile a register that will include, everybody capable of serving either with the lighting force or in connection with the industries. I do not say that tlie time has come yet: we have been more fortunate than Britain and Australia, in connection with recruiting and that is a fact that does credit to our people: but we have to realise that we cannot go on drawing upon our people in the way we have been doing without reaching the point where organisation of the national resources will Vie necessary." The Minister referred in this connection to the medical service, and said that he wanted the members of the British Medical Association ami the general public to realise that lie was not closing any door against the doctors. He invited every medical man who could serve to join the New Zealand Army Medical Corps and place himself at the disposal of tlie authorities for service in the dominion or elsewhere, as might be required. He .Hid not ask for honorary service from any doctor who was not willing or able to give it. He had already used tlie services of the members of tlie dental profession in connection with the troops, anil he was trying to work out a scheme for utilising their services more effectively than in the past. "I think registration will very shortly have to be adopted." added the Minister. "I have taken up the attitude that it is now our business to make comparisons between what we have done in this country and what other dominions have done, but I cannot admit that New Zealand has fallen behind at any point. I do not guarantee the accuracy of figures that are published in the newspapers with regard to the forces of the various dominions, but 1 will accept the statement that Australia has SS.OOO men abroad or in training at tlie present time. I know from tlie Federal Minister of Defence that the figures are approximately correct. Well. New Zealand is head and shoulders above that. We have over 1’5,000 men at the front or in training, and Australia, on a population basis, ought to have Ii’S.OOO men at tlie front or in training to equal us. I do not attach any value to tills comparison but I cannot let tlie statement go forth to the public that New Zealand is not doing her share as compared with Australia.”

Sir John Findlay; "What about the future'.’" The Minister: "I am coming to that. I do not forget that Australia has a navy The Imperial authorities laid down a poficy which New Zealand has followed absolutely, more so than any other dominion of the Empire; more so even than the Mother Country. registration has been a part of our policy all along. We want to register every available man between the ages of twenty years and forty who will volunteer to go to the front. 1 do not think that the position lias ever been fully understood, by the people of this country. We want to gel the men registered and passed by the doctors so that they may lie ready to respond to the call when it is made." The Minister said that he did not think that Australia was likely to attract very many men from New Zealand. The men to whom the pensions and allowances were a consideration would realise that they were likely to fare much better here than they would in Australia. The fact wrls that the Federal authorities bad found a difficulty in keeping up their reinforcements and they had been compelled to make special appeals with" the object of encouraging recruiting. New Zealand bad not been required to do that to the same extent and at the present time there were more than enough men in hand to fill the eighth reinforcements. He would mention in that connection that the numbers New Zealand had undertaken to send wore larger than most people realised. The number of men who would lie called up in August Cor the eighth reinforcements ti on Id lie :i.">H'i. This total included some special groups and some additional mounted rifle reinforcements, intended to bring that branch tip to the infantry standard. In tiial respect the ariginal arrangement had been to send I per cent, per montu as reinforcements for tiie infantry and 10 per cent, per mouth for the mounted rides, but tiie mounted men were being used as infantry and so the difference was being made up as from tiie despatch of Hie main force. New Zealand had not rested content with the original arrangement; she bad added tiie two battalions known as tiie Trenliiam Kogiment (iiOOO strong); she had provided certain special groups, and she had increased tiie mounted rifles reinforcements. Tiie Minister proceeded to place before tiie deputation information of a confidential character relating to reasons why it. whs not thought desirable for the dominion to despatch increased bodies of men at die present juncture.

Referring to the organisation of industry for war purposes, lie said that lie would very much like to see the industries of the dominion organised with the object of increasing the output and ptoviding the articles required by the armies in the field at a reasonable cost. The difficulties of any arrangement of the kind were enormous and he <1 id not feel confident to state how they were to be overcome. The desire of the Government. as well as of the people, was to assist the Empire in every possible way. He would have liked to have been able to provide the force of one hundred doctors asked for by the Imperial aullioi ities, but it did not appear that the full number could be. raised. The deputation had asked him what Rs members could do. Tftey could assist the Government in recruiting and they could give their attention to the problem of howto organise the nation’s industries. His own opinion was that there would havelo be registration of everybody between the ages of seventeen years and say fifty-five, am] a general effort to allot to every citizen his share in the national effort, hither in the field or at home. The women could do a great deal, and many of them were doing a groat deal. They could work for the men at the front, and it was possible that they might he required to assist in industry r,v taking the places of the men who had .gone tp the front. He doubted himself 'if they could assist usefully In liarvesting operations under the conditions prevailing in New Zealand. With regard to the National Reserve it did not seem to him that under existing conditions that body could be used a, - fighting force, but there -was work for it to do. The Ueatherston branch of the Reserve had turned out on Sunday to assist the sixth reinforcements to shift camp. The Dunedin reservists had given enormous assistance in connection with recruiting. He was glad to be able to say that there was not a shortage of territorial officers, men having come forward readily to fill the gaps created by the despatch of troops to (lie front. “Tint Government would like-to be able to do more but there are limitations,’’ said the Minister

In conclusion. “I think we could find more men-in New Zealand. I have been communicating with' the Mother Country for a long time past nAking if there is anything more that we can do. Apparently it is not possible for us to assist much in the manufacture of munitions. Wo offered to send engineers Home and wc were told that they were not wanted. We could manufacture gun limbers and certain waggons but information has reached us that there is no shortage of these lines. I shall be glad to receive any suggestion regarding further assistance to the Empire. My sympathies are with those who want to make every possible effort at the present juncture, but as Minister of Defence I know, and you know in some degree now, that our efforts "are limited by circumstances.