FAIR COMPARISONS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2482, 8 June 1915, Page 6

FAIR COMPARISONS

WHAT IS OUR DUTY, 'AND HOW TO HELP. The question of whether New Zealand is doing its duty , in the war was further discussed by tho Hon. J. Allen (Minister of Defence) yesterday. "It was recently officially notified in tho English House of Commons," ha said, "that the British had 750,000 men at tho front. I don't know officially how many men they have in training ill England. Wo have seen reports from time to time, but I havo never seen any official figures. This 750,000 is official, We can fairly compare it with what wo have done, and all I can say. is that the comparison is most certainly not to tho discredit of New Zealand. We have done more in proportion than they have done in England. If we arc to take into consideration the men they have in training in England, then surely we are entitled to take some. credit for the men we have in training for home defence, as well as the men at Trentham. We are surely entitled to consider our 30,000 Territorials who havo gone through tho camps this year, and there is no reason why we should not give at any rate some consideration to the 25,000 Senior Cadets who are in training, nor is there any reason why we should not take some credit for our rifle clubs." Referring more generally to the business of recruiting, Mr. Ailen expressed high appreciation of the work being done by the Legion of Frontiersmen. They had asked him what they might do to help, and he had advised them that they could render the Defenco Authorities tremendous service by detailing certain of their members in the various districts to act as recruiting agents, who might advise, young men to .enlist, and give them ajl available information as to how to set about enlisting. Ho had lately been informed by the head of the Legion that there were members of that body acting as recruiting agents in every district, however remote, in the North Island, and in many districts of the South Island. "That is the sort of help we do want," said Mr. Allen. "This is tho sort of help that is really effective, and if .the National Reserve will do this for ua in the cities I shall be very grateful to them."