NEW ZEALAND TROOPS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume IV, Issue 1231, 22 January 1918, Page 4

NEW ZEALAND TROOPS.

107,000 MEN MOBILISED. Press Association. WELLINGTON, January 21. Official figures available for publication show that up to date New Zealand has mobilised 107,000 men for service in the Expeditionary Forces oversea. These are accounted for as follow: Sailed* for the front 88,000 Still in training camps in New Zealand 10,000 Dicharged for medical unfitness discovered upon further examination on entering camp or during training .. .. 9,000 Total 107,000 These figures are exclusive of officers and men maintained on home establishment in the various forts and defence offices throughout New Zealand. A WONDERFUL RECORD. OLD STANDARDS ECLIPSED. [Special to The Sun.]

WELLINGTON, January 22,

Some official figures made available to-day show the contributions of New Zealand to the fighting forces of the Empire. The publication of figures of this kind in New Zealand has been prohibited in the past, though the other Dominions have allowed their figures to be used freely.

There is certainly no reason why New Zealand should be ashamed to tell the world what she has done. The total mobilisation, 107,000 men, amounts to nearly 10 per cent, of the population. Ten per cent, used to be regarded by the military experts as the maximum possible mobilisation of a nation's manpower for war, but New Zealand is by no means at the end of her resources. The reinforcements required for the present year are well in sight. Australia had sent abroad 298,000 men up to the end of October last. New Zealand, on a population basis, has done very much better than Australia. A comparison with Canada is also in favour of this country.