REINFORCEMENTS

Timaru Herald, Volume CVI, Issue 16308, 9 August 1917, Page 5

REINFORCEMENTS

SPELL FOR VETERANS. APPLIES TO WEST AND EAST. Sir James Allen, speaking in the House on Tuesday, according to the correspondent of "The Press,'' said that- members and people outside the House had been asking that tiie men of tho .Main Body should be. brought back to .New Zealand on furlough, but, he had not been able to agree to this. Now that the ralce of reinforcements wasieuucou a way was opened to bring back some of the Main Body during the coming European winter. The Government had agreed to bring back at once the men occupied in -Egypt and Palestine, as soon as they could be transported back. All Main Body men in this theatre who wished to j return on furlough would bo brought I back. They would stay in New Zea- j land about two months and then would i go back to the front. This must he well understood, and he hoped there : would bo no. agitation to keep the men here. He feared it would not bo pos- I siblo to bring all the Main Body men j from France, but he hoped to be able j to bring back -50 per cent, of them, j (Hear, hear.) He estimated roughly j that there were some 2000 or 2500 remaining with the division. | An lion, member: How will you select thorn Sir James Allen: Tho only way T can suggest is to ask General Russell to notify tho troops that application may be made to return to New Zealand. An hon. member: Married men should have preference. S ; v James Allen :We can adopt some preference of this kind to men who have responsibilities—to men who can make, out good cases. tfHE ADDITIONAL BRIGADE. Sir Jann.s Allen referred also to a letter o: the member for Eden (Mr C. J. Parr), pubished in Auckland, regarding the reinforcements New Zealand should send. Tho hon. momber had written: "Do the public- realise, yet that we are sending far more men than are necessary to make up the wastage in our army? Already Sir James Allen had given out of reinforcements accumulating and up in England and France a new brigade of oOLiO men to tho fighting line/' "I deny that I gave a new brigade," said Sir James Alien. The Minister of Defence here made no proposal to supply this extra brigade. A very strong request came for more than a brigade, and if I could not give more than a brigade, at least a brigade. I can only assure honourable members that whatever T could do to prevent the "formation of the brigade those steps 1 d"d ink.-. Mr Sykes: Didn't Au=tralin and Canada turn down this proposal? Sir James Allen: T can't bo responsible for what Australia and Canada have done. We ne~d no' fnPow Ibo lead of Australia and Cami'li. We have highe- aims. nr>d let us our rewords will bo greater at the end of i he, war. Mr Oakcy: Were not these men sent for reinforcement ournosos? Sir .Tamo* Alien: They will sir ill bo ltred for ro'.nforcements. Mr Oi:key: What's 1-. ft of them.

AUSTRALIA AND NKYv ZEALAND

Sir James Ailcn .said that lie pioshortly t-o make a staccnie-.u-about the men who had gone from New Zealand. Some of the newspapers liad been taking stock, and 'thoy had made mistakes. Mr Pair-ir.'d said that 1100 men per month bo enough to repair the wastage, 'j'liis was jio't so. Even at the reduced rate the number .to be sent every month would bo J 9:20. It had been stated that the Commonwealth Governor-General, in his .speech to Parliament had said that 7000 men a month would suffice to reinforce the five. Australian divisions. He had nn knowledge of tho Governor-General of Australia having made any such statement. Mr Talbot: They are sending 12 000. 1 think. Dr. Newman: Thcv are actually sending 5000. * Sir .Tames Allen: The number thov : ought to sond is 16/231 per month'. lhey can't get 'the, men under the voluntary system, and it moans (die sacrifice of some of their divisions if they ' can't got the men. The amoiulod rafo ! of RMnforciMiiriirs V rili not come into: or-M-aii-H until the men to rot urn are relieved. I THE SECOND DIVISION. ! Mr Hornsby: Will the extra men : have to come out ot 'die Second Division 'i Sir James Allen: I cairt make a ' statement about the Second Division yr'i. because Parliament will be asked to consider the question this session. i

Mr Ma-ssey: There will b, ; legislation. "