REINFORCEMENTS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12063, 19 July 1917, Page 6

REINFORCEMENTS.

DISCUSSION OF PERCENTAGE ' RATES. POSSIBLE REDUCTION. SIGNIFICANT MINISTERIAL STATEMENTS. [Fkom OoR CoKMSrOKDSNT.] WELLINGTON", July IS. Successive Ministerial statements on the subject of future reinforcement's firp creating an impression among members that those who doubt whether the present rate of enlistment should be maintained will be well satisfied with early developments. They are led to anticipate that the Imperial Government will .suggest a greatly reduced percentage .in . monthly drafts. thus eking out'- the First Division and delaying the calling up of the Second Division. | An extremely., interesting statement on the subject was made to-day by Sir James Allen, when answering requests that Main Body men should be returned to New Zealand. He mentioned that there are 20,000 New Zealanders in the fighting line and three to four thousand as first reserve. A statement* in the Pres*.tha.t_±lie-.percentage of reinforcements which had been sent was 12i was incorrect. Tt varied for different units. The present percentage of reinforcements for infantry was 15. as fixed by the W r ar Office. With regard to the 71 per cent suggested in the Infantry Manual, when the war broke out the Government got information from the War Office that the manual would have to be amended, as experience showed that the percentafrc was wrong. "It was altered to continued Sir James Allen. " Then came Gallipoli, and T regret to say that 12J ner cent was not sufficient. Our M ain Body fell to a. denlorable state." Mr Young: You didn't give them proper guns or ammunition. Sir James Allen: That was not my fault. MrYounc: But you are defending the position. They could not defend themselves and were killed. Sir James Allen added that the reinforcements: wont up to 20 per cent. "T have been in ■ communication with the War Office." he concluded, " and I hope" that, with experience wo can reduce the percentage." MAIN BODY MEN.

««Our stiff-necked, autocratic, hidebound Minister of Defence has no .sympathy,'' declared Dr Thackcr, commenting on Sir James Allen's reply to ft request that.. th« Main Body men should be returned to New Zealand, which was tk> the effect that the proposal was not practicable, as it involved. loss of efficiency in our forces > at' the front.

J>r Thacker said that N>\v Zealand had 42,000 soldiers in England and Franco, 50 that- tho Main Body men could bo easily spared. Tf tho Minister would not unbend ho must be got rid of ; Mr Okoy declared that, ho did not agree with Dr Thackor. Ho did not believe that, one Main Body man wanted to como back. Ti hv should wo bring back trained men who had made a name for themselves. and bo obliged to replace them with married men" Tho Minister of Defence declared ■that lie could not understand whore Dr 1 hacker got iii.s figures, because t.hoy were incorrect. TTe felt sorry that, the Government was unable to' bring Tnack the remnant of the Main Body. Nobody would be more delighted to seo this than himself, but. the House must, recollect that those men, with all their * i.raining and experience, wore a very vaJuablo asset to the Now Zealand diyisicL'ij. Jf they were invited to como bacjy a largo percentage would .say thank you.' AVo will star till the end." There were 20,000' New Zcalandors in the fighting line in Franco, with throe to four thousand men in the first reserve. The c;ood work done by the division was due to - its realisation that every man wlio be immediately replaced. PE R TOD OF ENLISTMENT. In.answer to a question by Mr M'Callum, wlv» wished to have n. definite understanding a.s to tho actual term for which members of. .the Expeditionary Force had been enlisted, Sir James said that under tho Military Service Act the period of enlistment was for tho duration of tho war and six months thereafter, or for such shorter penod as fho Crown may think fit'. The Min-ister-added-that. jt might bo necessary 10 extend the period of six months, V because there might be some men who | would bo unable to get back to New r Zealand within that period.

PLEDGES EXCEEDED

MR POLAND'S CONTENTION

INADEQUATE PENSIONS

[From Ottr Coerkspondent."! Air' Poland launched sharp arrows of criticism to-night at what he considered the Defence Ministcr's eagerness to send away men without' making adequate provision for their dependents, and-far tho men themselves in the event of returning totally disabled. <•' I have no time for the Minister of Defence as Minister of Defence, though I grant that lie is a man ol great earnestness and zeal in his work," said Mr Poland, adding, "But lie lias hoon so keen to carry out the wishes of the Imperial authorities and send away reinforcements that T think he has sent far more men away than were needed for actual reinforcement purposes, or than tho country could afford to send. I have come to tho conclusfoni in /act, that for the last twelve months Ave havo been sending considerably more men til an our pledges to the Imperial Government required. The Minister of Defence admits that by saying that the British Government was allowed io use surplus reinforcements for the formation of a special brigade." Sir James Allen: I made no such admission. Mr Poland: You stated you consented to that brigade, and unless you knew wo had sufficient reinforcements apart from that brigade, you would not havo given that consent. What is the effect of that?--To put into the firing lino another-4000 men, to increase the number of casualties and deaths, and to compel thia eoirntrv to send a still further number of reinforcements to make up wastage. (.Hoar, hear.) I reiterate the opinion, therefore, that this country has been sending away too many men. (Hear, hear.) But for this there would l>o no necessity for many months to 00mo to havo called on Second Division men. However, tho

calling up of tlio Second Division has now drawn so near that this Government' must act, and act at once, in the matter of pav. (Hear, hoar.) Mr Poland, in criticising the. distinctions in the military pensions system. denounced what ho termed its glaring and undemocratic inconsistencies, contending thai New Zealand's Pepsion Act. was the greatest jtissuo of inconsistencies and absurdities. It should be wiped out and replaced by a proper and equitable system. "After all, what is a fair thing for these men ?" asked Mr Poland. " T say no section in the community should be put in a worse position because they leave tho country to go and fight for those left behind." ' (Hear, hear). Ho went on to discuss the position in which ilia wives and •\ —„ 4 . •

children of men already gone wore Wt, while many men wore piling up wealth. It, was absurd, ho contended, to talk of the financial aspect, when the country had in it men whose incomes reduced by half would afford amnio for providing disabled .soldiers and the wives and children of men in the firing line with morVrate comfort. He maintained that if Parliament adjourned without doing the right thing for tin: men who were fighting and dying for us, it was not fit 'ib hold its position as the mouthpiece of the people.