The Dominion. MONDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1914. THE EXPEDITIONARY TROOPS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2343, 28 December 1914, Page 4

The Dominion. MONDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1914. THE EXPEDITIONARY TROOPS

There is a. marked difference between the recruiting methods followed in New Zealand and those adopted in some other parts of the Empirb. In Great Britain much reliance has been placed upon mass meetings, at which the eloquence of public speakers has been employed to stimulate a recruiting boom, and it is noteworthy that.theso efforts seem upon the wholo to have been less effective in producing the desired result than the direct stimulus of the war itself. Authorities dealing with the subject have generally agreed that the frankest possible disclosure of the state of affairs obtaining at the seat of war is the best way to make the nation rise to its responsibilities, and it is admitted that the naval Taid on the East Coast' did more than many patriotic speeches to swell the tide of recruiting. In New Zealand the faetor o{ artificial stimulus, by public meetings' or otherwise, has been almost entirely absent, and tho Teady and adequate response which tho country has made to the callto arms is On that account all the. more gratifying. From recent official statements it appears that the number of men offering has enabled the Defence authorities easr ily to maintain the quota of reinforcements with which the Main Expeditionary Force is from time to time to be strengthene'S.' With the dispatah of one contingent, another has been ready to march into camp for training, and while the present steady tide of volunteering continues this satisfactory. 6tate of affairs will continue.' New Zealand, meantime, is easily doing more than the Mother Country asks it to do, and if the war lasts as seems likely the number of New Zealanders under arms, at the front and for home defence, will compare not unfavourably with the number enlisted in Great Britain itself. The Defence Minister has stated that there niay possibly be an urgent call for men three or four months hence, but that if there is hie anticipates no difficulty in getting them, and-in view of what has already been accomplished, his opinion seems well warranted. '

, While the volume of recruiting affords jtist cause: for pride and Satis--faction, the quality of the men offering ■ is an equally gratifying feature of the position; The military authorities have stated that, the troops now undergoing training at Trentham camp are a very fine body of men, quite"\the eqUalof those already dispatched to the front. It is a splendid testimony to the reserve powers of the country and its manhood that standards of quality in its successive contingents should be so well maintained. The quality of bhe I'men' who havo already gone to the front is sufficiently attested in the praise , recently given to the New Zealand troops in Egypt/ Judged side by side with troops I and other Oversea' Forces, the New Zealanders were spoken of by experts as splendid material, and emphasis was laid upon their' unmatched keenness. Imperial officersj too, were impressed by the excellent condition of the New ' Zealanders' horses. In the initial recruiting preference was rightly given to the nfembera of the Territorial Force, who were in active training, and ■they took full advantage of the right of priority thus conferred upon them.. The comparative youth-, fulness of these recruits was a , necessary consequence of the fact that the Defence scheme is in its infancy. There ;is no need to regret this circumsbirlco for men in the early years of manhood have many a time rendered splendid service in,the British Army, but it is universally, admitted that any military force is all the better for at least a leavening joi older men who ard likely to temper the dash and fire of the younger' soldiers with equally important qualities of steadiness and discretion; ."■,..• . , j The men now offering and under training are described as old enough to be thoroughly matured and inured to hardship; is, of course, no possible. ieaSon for emphasising distinctions between different sections of the Expeditionary ! Force, bttt it is , in extelleh! thing that it should include not only thfe flower of the young manhood of the country but a proportion _ also of older men. who will add .to its_ aggregate qualities and build up its efficiency as'a fighting force. Composed las it is, anil with the benefits of a. long and ai*duotis training, it is safe to say that it will acquit itself creditably in any test that tho war may iiViiiofe "So* Zealtihclei'S who rciui\iii at Home! will confidently ex- ! pect to hair that their soldiers have j not rrierely done well but have tiken a front rank place among the fighting men arrayed for the defence of the' Empire. The minor detractions altci ci'itkisnis id iihich some details in the organisation of the Voi'ii have at times.been subjected are so thoroughly discounted by-accumulat-ing evidence that.. probably littln more will bo heard of them.. ..The

New Zealand Expeditionary Force is regarded as a splendidly-equipped body of troops of the highest quality. It is noteworthy also that the further training of tho Force- is being carried out by its own officers, under whom it will fight. It is' a fine thing to know that New Zealand, having mado such a splendid contribution to the defence of the Empire, is able to more than maintain its quality in succeeding reinforcements, and has still ample reserves of men to meet an urgent Imperial call if that should come before the war ends.