MORE MEN OFFERED.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume II, Issue 511, 29 September 1915, Page 8

MORE MEN OFFERED.

LEGION OF FRONTIERSMEN. DEFENCE MINISTER HESITATES. [From our own Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, September 28. An offer of a regiment of mounted men for service at the front, made by the New Zealand section of the Legion of Frontiersmen, was placed before the House of Representatives to-day by the member for Waikato (Mr Young). The member made an offer on behalf of Mr E. De Esterre, staff officer of the Legion for New Zealand.

Mr Young said that the Legion was ready to raise a regiment of 500 mounted men for service with the New Zealand forces, and to find reinforcements according to the recognised scale. Probably the number could be increased to 1000, and the men would provide their own uniforms of the pattern provided for the Legion, and would bring their own officers, subject to the approval of the Defence Department after a period of probation. The regiment would have its own instructors, who would be qualified men, and would find its own horses.

Mr Young added that the Legion, which consisted of men who had already seen service of some kind, had a splendid record of service on all the frontiers of the Empire. The Defence Minister (the Hon. J. Allen) said he was grateful to the members of the Legion for their patriotic offer. He had received a similar offer in the early stages of the war, and, at that time, had not seen hjs way to accept it. He had then invited members of the Legion to join the ordinary forces, and they had done this to/the number of something like 1200. They had rendered very valuable service to New Zealand by accepting his suggestion, and providing a stiffening of experienced men for the Expeditionary Forces. The Legion was an admirable body of men, and he would like to see every member enlisted. The Minister added that he could not say definitely that he could accept the men offered by the Legion as a unit. Offers of individual units were not uncommon. The Scotsmen wanted to provide a regiment, and he might expect to have offers from the Irishmen, the Englishmen, and the Welshmen. "I must say I should prefer that men should enlist in the ordinary way, and allow our army to be a national army," said the Minister. "I cannot give any definite answer, except to say that I will consult with the staff and reply later on."