REINFORCEMENTS.

West Coast Times, 7 September 1915, Page 3

REINFORCEMENTS.

TEE MAORI REINFORCEMENTS. COOK ISLAND NATIVES TO RE SENT. (Per Press Association —Copyright.] WELLINGTON. Sept. 6. The Maori reinforcements now under training at Auckland will have for the front this month and it has been arranged that they shall embark from Wellington. The Minister for Defence mentioning this mailer to a pressman to-day said he would liatv been veryglad to have allowed the Maoris to join the transport at Auckland, hut they had expressed a wish to he orouglit to Welelisigtcii and their request had been supported by the representatives of tlie native race in Parliament. The men would come to Wellington by train, and arrangements are lieing made for a ••send-off’’ to the Maoris cm the day o. their departure from Wellinet., ;. There will be two functions, the first being a gathering at which Ministers and prominent citizens will be present, and the second a purely native ceremony. as the chiefs wish to have a last word with the fighting men of their raoe liefore the departure for Gallipoli and the i Mayor has consented to let them have | the use of the Town Hall for the ocoaI sion.

"We a iv going to continue sending Maori reinforcement.-.” said the Defenre Minister. "The next draft will go into eamp when the men at present under training have left, and it will inelnde drafts of natives from Raratonga and .Virile, between 150 and 250 strong. These men are very anxious to be given a ehanee to see service with the other soldiers of the Empire, and they have received some elementary training already. The Maoris will make up the balance bringing the tothl strength of the forces to about 350 men. That will be the third Maori reinforcement. for the fourth reinforcement I shall lie very glad to hear that the Waikatoa I will undertake to find the men wanted ! for that draft.”