THAT OVERSEA FORCE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1767, 4 June 1913, Page 7

THAT OVERSEA FORCE.

O | OPPOSITION RUBBISH. CLEAR STATEMENT BY HON. J. ALLEN. (By Teleßrapb—Frees Association.) Auckland, June 3. "They have been talking a lot of rubbish about this expeditionary force," (aid tho Hon. J. Allen to an interviewer. "All I proposed was the, need of being ready with war material, rgiiivnK'ut, ana transport arrangements for seiK.ing an cxpixlitionary force if the time ever canity when such a force was need.nl; but so far as the personnel of sucli a force was concerned 1 have always said, absolutely and unmistakably, that such u force must bs entirely a voluntary one. Theiv is_ nothing how about tho expeditionary l'orco idea. 1 talked about it myself for some time before i left for Ilom'.\ In fact, it has been talked about for at least two or three years. "All it means is that wo do not want to bo caught in the unprepared staty in which we wero caught on the occasion of tlio lloer War, when New Zealand was so ready to respond to the appeal o£ our brothers' oversea. When that appeal came we lied plenty of men eager go, but nothing arranged in tho metier of equipment and transport. There was no knowledge of wliat the requirements would bs for horse, artillery or foot—ill fact, there was no sort of organisation beforehand to iueet all the necessities of such a situation. If the call cunics at a moment's notice it is of little value to have tho men if vou. have not got all tho necessary details arranged winch are so essential for effective operation at a moment's notice. Can anyone object to such an obviously sensible proposition ? There was never any question about a New Zealand expeditionary force being other than voluntary." •