The Bag of Plenty Beacon Published Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. WEDNESDAY, DEC. 4th, 1940. THE OVERSEAS BALLOT

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 245, 4 December 1940, Page 4

The Bag of Plenty Beacon Published Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. WEDNESDAY, DEC. 4th, 1940. THE OVERSEAS BALLOT

GREAT WAR memories will be. revived with the release of the first ballot for men who will serve with the overseas armed forces and published to-/day. The, fact ithajti the Labour Government of this country has at last seen fit to introduce 'compulsory service' after all its previous avowals must not be construed as a sign of weakness, rather it is but another indication of the realisation of the Empire, that to-day we stand nearer a crisis than ever before in our history. The threat is so serious that it has over-ridden /the ideals and theories of what perhaps was the most pacifist government ever in power under the sway of the Union Jack. There is nothing clearer to-day than the alternatives of either being prepared, or being blotted out as a people. We have to be thankful for the examples which have been afforded us,, by the fates of a dozen small and unsuspecting nations whose only fault lay in their acceptance of the word, of men who hadi no scruples whatsoever about breaking faith in any agreement to which they attached their names. New Zealand's fighting men have,, since the last war been classed as first-line troops, a distinction whi'ch was won for them by the dash and bravery of the original 'Diggers' many of whom were balloted men. The present ballot aims at a total of, 14,000 men over the whole Dominion. Of this number 825 are required from the Paeroa area. In making an analysis of the figure it is interesting to note that included in the total are 700 volunteers—-the overflow sin<ae the Fourth Reinforcements went to camp., 6800 men who have already been drawn in either of the territorial ballots and 6500 fresh names. Taken on the same percentage over the whole of" New Zealand it is therefore fairly safe to assume that the allocation in thePaeroa district will be approximately : volunteers 60,, territorials 380, and new names 380. The actual number which will be eligible for camp is of course another question but it is certain that the Whakatane figures are slowly but sure>liy growing, and with over 500 already serving as volunteers iii will be interesting to speculate upon the final number which \yill be participating in the great struggle; ahead, before peace is finally restored again.. New Zealand between the years 1914-18 sent overseas just on 120,i000 traiinedi and equipped men, from a population of 1,250,000. The present struggle from a population of 1,500,000 has already drawn three separate echelons of 6600 totalling 19£00 men apart from other details attached to the division. However there are several thousand airmen and naval volunteers who have also been despatched bringing the tfc}ta;3i to something like 25,000 men if we are to include the Forestry Battalions and thie Railway and Specialist workers. The Fourth Reinforcements may also be Counted as active service men and thus if we: are to form something of an idea of the Dominion's contribution to the Motherland's cause to date it would be safe to assume that some 30,000 men were abroad, or roughly about twice as many as were drawn from this.country during the Boer campaigns. The list published to-day is the first of the great disciplinary machine which will be introduced for the war's duration in order that the Dominion will live up to its responsibilities in a manner which will be fair and equitable to. all eligible men. *