THE CALL FOR MEN.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume V, Issue 1293, 5 April 1918, Page 4

THE CALL FOR MEN.

DOMINION'SJIESPONSE. BRITISH APPRECIATION. Press Association. WELLINGTON, April 4. The Prime Minister has received the following cablegram from the Secretary of State for the Colonies, through the Governor-General:- - With reference to your telegram of April 2, his Majesty's Government have received with the greatest satisfaction New Zealand's assurances of support in the present crisis. The staunchness of the Dominion in the common cause and the gallantry of her soldiers have already been abundantly proved, but we welcome most cordially this fresh evidence of her determination.

MINISTERSJMSAGREE.

FIFTH BRIGADE PROPOSED. [Special to The Sun.] WELLINGTON, April 4._ Ministers obviously are not in agreement with reference to the response to be made to the "more men" appeal, and to-morrow's meeting of Cabinet, at which the subject will be considered, is being awaited with interest. The Minister of Defence is not alone in holding the view that New Zealand should not aspire to do more than maintain the New Zealand Division and the other units of the present Main Body; but the Prime Minister believes that a special effort should be made in reply to Mr Lloyd George's message, and he will make proposals when Cabinet meets. Any proposal to increase reinforcements will bring into prominence the question of transport. It seems unlikely that Great Britain will provide additional ships for the New Zealand transport service, since every available steamer is required for the conveyance of American troops. A steamer, in a given time, can take at least five American soldiers to the war area for every New Zealander who can be moved, but it is a fact that in recent months the available transports have not been used to their full capacity, so that some increase of reinforcements can be made without the provision of more ships. No increase of reinforcements from this end can have any direct effect upon the operations of the next few months in France, since men enlisted now will not be ready to enter the firing-line for at least six months; but the figures that have reached Ministers and that may be made public shortly show that the New Zealand reserves in Great Britain and France are very large. One of the suggestions that will be discussed by Ministers when they meet is the formation of a Fifth New Zealand Infantry Brigade for service during this European summer. The Fourth Brigade certainly will be used.

NEW ZEALAND'S DUTY.

AUCKLAND "STAB'S" OPINION. Discussing editorially Mr Lloyd George's appeal to the Dominion, the Auckland "Star" of Tuesday, April 2, says, inter alia:— This paper has always urged the necessity for New Zealand doing its utmost to help to win the war. We have pointed out over and over again that it is our own war just as much as Britain's, and we have frequently drawn attention to the greater proportionate sacrifices that the Motherland has made, for her daughter nations as well as for herself. But we must point out that our "utmost" in this direction may not necessarily consist in sending every man of military age to the front, and it may not necessarily be'the best policy of the Allies to take these men from us. Unless we get proof to the contrary, we cannot believe that Mr Lloyd George means us to increase our reinforcements regardless of the two other greatest considerations, the supplying of food to Britain, and the shortage of shipping. A certain steady supply of foodstuffs—how great it is the business of the Imperial Government to settle — must be sent across the world to Britain. It strikes us that to send transports all the way to New Zealand for larger reinforcements may be wasteful from two points of view, that space that would otherwise be rilled with food would be taken up by men, and that several trips to and from nearer sources of manpower could be made in the time taken in a round voyage. We have nothing but contempt, which we have expressed in these columns, for the shirker who seeks to avoid going to the war by pleading the immense man-power of America, but we are compelled to point out that tonnage is very scarce, and that much less time is occupied in transporting men from America to Europe than from New Zealand to Europe. Supposing we were to raise ten thousand men above our present quota, the ships that took them Home might in the same time carry, sav, 100,000 or 200,000 Americans across the Atlantic.