THE REINFORCEMENTS.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16265, 16 July 1918, Page 6

THE REINFORCEMENTS.

SIR JAMES" ALLEN TO MAKE

STATEMENT TO-DAY.

(special to "the press.")

WELLINGTON, July 15,

The Minister of Defence hopes to be in a position to-morrow to make a statement about tho future reinforcements to be sent from New Zealand. It is practically certain that there will be a reduction on tho present rate, which is an accelerated rate, made necessary by the promise of extra men made by 3New Zealand at the time of the first German thrust in the early suminer. That promise has been kept so far as shipping would allow, but it has entailed the sending away of men more rapidly than they could ■ be brought into camp. For this reason it is impossible to say how soon the reduction in reinforcements will take effect, because a number of extra recruits will be needed from the next two or three drafts to bring the camps up to establishment.

Apart from the fact that New Zealand is fortunate enough to have abundant supplies of reinforcements available abroad, there is the other reason that she has not an inexhaustible supply of men here. There are upwards of 60,000 men remaining in the Second Division. Of the 14,000 remaining in Class C, probably 4000 will be available. Nearly. twice as many mien ore in Class D, but it is not considered that the return of fit men from this class will be a good one. Probably there will not be more than 5000 fit men in all the 26,000. The E and F classes comprise the men with four children or more, and it has always been supposed that the Government would never send these men. At the present rate of balloting the entire Second Division would be exhausted in 12 months.