The Dominion. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1915. SOUTH AFRICA'S WAY

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2577, 27 September 1915, Page 4

The Dominion. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1915. SOUTH AFRICA'S WAY

The South African newspapers which reached New Zealand by the latestrarrived mail steamer contain much information ' touching the Union's Expeditionary Force for Europe. The facts set forth display a fine spirit of encrgetic loyalty on the part of the people of the Union, and are most opportune at the present time in Jilcw Zealand. South Africa's methods, wo may state at the outset, are not quite the methods which hitherto have been followed by the Dominion. It is interesting to reoall the position of the four ■Provinces in August last year, when Great Britain declared war against Germany. For many years before that time Germany bad been intriguing on a large- scale within South Africa. ' But for Germany, we are pretty safe in saying, there would have been no South African War. That conflict, however, caused the Kaiser's agents to "proceed warily for a time. But, as General Botha showed by documentary .evidence discovered in South-West Africa, during the, two years which immediately preceded the outbreak | of the present war in Europe,' Germany was actually cherishing hopes for the conquest _of the country. Those sinister designs were not entirely unknown to members of the Union Government. Nor was the knowledge that Makitz was unsafe ooncealea from Generals Smuts and Botha. Notwithstanding the likelihood of trouble in South Africa, tho Union Government bravely, loyally, and voluntarily;, undertook tho responsibility of the country's defence', and the Imperial Government gratefully acquiescing, all the Imperial troops were withdrawn for service in Europe. German intrigues bore their expected fruit in the form, of rebellion and an attempt to overthrow British authority. The rebellion was stamped out, and Union troops, at their-head General Botha. ■ended for all time the menace of German South-West Africa. Five weeks ago recruiting began for an Expeditionary Force, tho enlistment being, as here, voluntary, as the Union Defence Act provider for compulsory service only within South Africa. | The first departure from what we may term the New' Zealand method is that, as far as the South African newspapers to hand show, the Union Government has offered to provide no definite number of. men. Apparently, the strength of South Africa's first army for the front will depend altogether upon the number of men who present themselves as recruits. Eeferenco is frequently made in the official _ documents quoted to camps of mobilisation; but nothing is said about training camps. The explanation is, of course, that the Expeditionary Force will be dispatched to England without' delay, and that there the men will undergo the required training. Further, we learn that alrea'dy a system of recruiting has been established which extends to every part of the Union, even to the most distant and most isolated hamlet or district. In the large towns medical officers are daily (Sunday excepted) in attendance, and the recruits, if medically fit, pass direct to the camps of mobilisation. In places where there are no District Staff Officers, applications ' for, enrolment arc made to Magistrates, and where there is no Magistrate, the intending recruits apply to the officials in charge of police stations or police posts. Where no proper medical examination is possible, as at outside police stations and police posts, the officer in charge, if satisfied that,the applicant is suitable, provides him with free conveyance to the nearest medical officer. Pay commences from' the .date of provisional enrolment. This prompt method of petting "together and dispatching the South African Expeditionary Force' seems to have produced excellent recruiting' results: ' The n.rmy which the Union will dispatch, according to the Cape Times, may be, at least, 30,000 strong. Pchsibly the Cape Town journal is over-sanguine. 'That remains to be seen. But it is 'worth noting that the white population of the Union in 1911 »was only 1,276,242, or not much greater thaii the population of New Zealand. "From the Union as a whole," says the Cape. Times, "rejecting 50 per cent, on physical and other grounds, there are sufficient unmarried .to build -up a coutiupsat U4,00U ■imm'L. \i