NEW ZEALAND DIVISION.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume V, Issue 1427, 9 September 1918, Page 4

NEW ZEALAND DIVISION.

STRONGEST IN THE FIELD. 9 AMPLE RESERVES AVAILABLE. [Special to The Sun.] WELLINGTON, September 0. The messages of the ollieial war correspondent, as well as the occasional references in Sir Douglas Ilaig's reports, show that the NewZealand Division has been in the firing-line for more than a month. During that time it has dislodged the Germans from many strong positions, pursued the retreating enemy across many miles of country, captured Bapaume, and accumulated prisoners, guns and booty on a large scale. The Division has not merely fought well on every occasion; it has proved ijs capacity for a long, sustained effort under conditions that must have produced casualties, and placed a seven' strain on the endurance of the men.

The record is a proud one. and it is one for which the Defence authorities hereniay take an important share of credit. The New Zealand Division is probably the strongest division on the West Front to-day. That sounds a bold statement, but it can be supported by facts. The strength of the Division has never been reduced, and the reserves behind it have always been amnio. It is no secret that the British, French. Australian, and probably the Canadian Divisions, are smaller than they used to be, though the reduction has not been nearly so great as in the case of the enemy divisions, which have been brought down as low as 10,000 men. The nominal strength of the New Zealand Division is in the neighbourhood of 22.000 men, and the Staff has always been in a position to draw fully-trained reinforcements from the reserves as required. It may be noted in this connection that the extra reinforcements sent from this country in response to the request made by the Imperial authorities after the big German advance in March were not required at the time. The New Zealand Division did not become engaged in continuous heavy fighting until last month, and the reinforcements accumulated. The result is that the Division, today, has a tireless punch that must be exceedingly disconcerting to the Germans called upon to endure it. The point of policy involved in the dispatch of the large reinforcements need not be discussed here; but there can be no doubt about Ihe value of that extra effort from the point of view of the General Officer Commanding in the field to-day.

The extra reinforcements imposed less strain unon the Dominion than some people have imagined. The return of invalided men has to be taken into account. If the returns are balanced against departures, the net decrease of New Zealand's manpower at this end is found to he roughlv 7000 for the vear ended June 30 last. The reserves at the front are still large, in spite of recent casualties.