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Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16165, 20 March 1918, Page 6

Sir Auckland Goddes, in the spcech to which reference is made in our leading columns, gave some impressive figures as to the armed forces which have already been raised within the British Empire. In 1914 the total "personnel" of the Navy was loss than 150,000. The. Regular Army, including Reserves and Special Reserves, amounted on mobilisation to about 450,000 men. Tho Territorial Force contributed some 250,000 moro. Of one sort and another, therefore, there were available 700,000 soldiers. Sir Auckland Geddes went on to add: —

The Navy from 150,000 in August, 1914, stood in October, 1917, at 400,000. The British Army to-day has on its rolls over 4,000,1i00 men. The actual strength of the Forcos to-day obviously only represents a part of the call that has bosn made on our man-power. To it must be added our losses, but, taking all things into consideration, we may say that the effort which the British nations have made under the one item of "Provision of Men for tho Armed Forces of tho Crown" amounts to not less than 7,500,000 men. Of these 4,530,000, or 60.4 per cent., have been contributed by England; 620,000, or 8.3 per cent., have been contributed by Scotland; 280,000, or 3.7 per cent, have been contributed by Wales; 170,000, or 2.3 per cont., have been contributed by Ireland; and 900,000, or 12 per cent., have been contributed by the ' Dominions and tho Colonies. Tho remaining million men, composed of native fighting troops, labour corps, carriers, etc., represent the splendid contribution made by India and our various African and other Dependencies.

Everyone will agree with the speaker that this is an effort of which the Empire may well feel proud. Tho Dominions and Colonies have not ?east reason for pride and gratification as they survey these figures. But they supply the strongest possible argument why there must bo no faltering or slackening off now that tho great crisis has arrived, so that the sacrifices already made shall not be brought to nought.

It will be remembered that one of the first acts of General Allenby on entering Jerusalem was to place the Mosque of Omar under a guard of Moslems, furnished by the distinguished Indian regiment, the 123 rd Outram's Rifles. The Sheik in charge of the Mosque, on tho day of the British entry into the city, is reported to have said: —"Praise God the British have come. Now wo can live in perfect peace and tranquillity, all our sufferings are at an end." From a statement issued by the National War Aims Committee, we learn that one of the last acts of the Turks in Jerusalom was to arrest and remove the Latin Patriarch, and to order the forcible deportation of the Greek and Armenian Patriarchs, under a guard with fixed bayonets. During the war there has been a reign of terror in Palestine, and the Young Turks have executed many Arab leadors. One of their victims', the Mufti of Gaza, a member of the same family as that of the Mayor and Mufti of Jerusalem, they hanged near the Jaffa gate before the first battle of Gaza.

We had occasion the other day to disagree with the Auckland "Herald's" attitude in the matter of public works expenditure. The provincialism of Auckland, and its talent for self-assertion, liowevei, are not always reprenensible in their operation, :«s might! indeed, be assumed. Another Auckland agitation ini wh.cn we can only wish our Auckland friends every succcss, is being set on foot. The "Herald" reports that "a delegation from tho Auckland Education Board has returned from the North impressed with the need for providing more and better school buildings." Between forming a firm opinion and taking action upon it there is never much interval in Auck-

land, and it is not surprising, therefore. to hear that an Auckland deputation is going to Wellington to seek a remedy for the neglect of the educational requirements of the Far North. As wo havn said, we wish the deputation success, and we commend the northern method to the consideration of the local Education authorities, for serious overcrowding exists in the city and suburban schools here. • Our Auckland contemporary takes the same view as we have ourselves ex- ! pressed, that "even in war-time it is discreditable to the State to neglect the education and endanger th c health of its children." Auckland's agitation for more schools and open-air schools will be of advantage to all districts, for it is a contention for a principle that holds everywhere. In a letter we print today a correspondent ironically tells us that our own agitation is sure to break helplessly against official obstinacy and unprogressiveness. His irony, we are afraid, is only too well justified, but we do not despair of light breaking into the darkness of official conservatism.