NEW ZEALAND SUPPLY OF MEN

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2488, 15 June 1915, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND SUPPLY OF MEN

VIEWS OF LIEUTENANT-COLONEL MYERS. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) Auckland, Juno 14. , The raising of an Expeditionary Forco to a strength of 50,000 was urged by Lieutenant-Colonel A. M. Myers during the course of an address to a portion of the military forces at tho Baptist Tabernacle yesterday afternoon. "I venture to say that in New Zealand tliero are no fewer than 100,000 men between the ages of twenty and forty years who have not registered," said Colonel Myers. "The State 6hould ask ovory ono of these men, unless they are physically unfit or havo dependents to provide for, to register at once." Continuing, Lieutenant-Colonel Myers said it would be a wise -action if the ago limit were oxtended to fifty years. The Federal Minister of Defence had stated that there had been a falling off in registrations in Australia. In the past New Zealand had always given a lead in patriotic matters. He thought it would be a good thing if the New Zealand Government informed the Imperial authorities that it was prepared to raise the strength of the Expeditionary Forco from 30,000 to 50,000. A force of 50,000 would not be more than our just quota; it would have a great moral effect on New Zealandors at tho front if tJiey heard that largo numbers of their fellow-countrymen were coming to assist them in tho gigantic struggle. In this war, where our men were fighting for so much, it was meet that Now Zealand should set an example to the whole Empiro in the manner ho had indicated. Lieutenant-Colonel Myers referred to the fact that in the Old Country_ some 70.000 women were engaged in civil and military work. He was sure that_ if necessary the women of the Dominion would follow their example.