AUSTRALIA AND THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2772, 16 May 1916, Page 6

AUSTRALIA AND THE WAR

g ' 251,000 MEN TO MAT 6... , The promised statement of the Comwonwealtn Government on the subject of recruiting was made in both ieuerai Houses, on Tuesday last. Senator Pearce's statement was as follows:—

"On November 26, 11)15, the Oonwionwealtn Government cabled to the Imperial authorities offering to increase its contribution oi troops by 50,U0(J, and also unuertakiug to supply eacu month the necessary reinforcements,. on the basis upon which reinforcements wore then required. ' It was calculated, that, with tne additional number named in this offer, Australia would have, raised by the end of .'June, IUIB, ior active service abroad 2K6.UOU men.

"On I'ebruary 17, 1916, the War Office cabled -advising' that the percentage of remlorcements required was substantially reduced. Oh January 26, 1916, the Secretary of State for the Colonies cabled that:- . ; '

'"As a.result of a communication with tho Ueneral Officer' Commanding in Egypt, and on iurther consideration of the offer of' the Commonwealth Government conveyed in tho cable of November 26 to proviue three additional Australian divisions, the War.l Office suggests .that as there.is at present in Egypt a large accumulation of Australian and NewZealand personnel, surplus to the establishment of existing, divisions, the formation, of two of the three additional. Australian, divisions should bu begun in Egypt at once. It is. hoped that your Government will agree in principle to these proposals.' "On January 30, 1916, General Birdwood, the General Officer Commanding, cabled, expressing'the hope that tho suggestion contained in the War Office cable for the organisation of two divisions in Egypt, ami one only in Australia, be adopted and put in hand at once, and stating that the question of the disposal •of the large accumulation of 'reinforcements and returned convalescents in Egypt was urgent, and in the interests of discipline and the well-being and training of the troops of the Commonwealth required eariy settlement. On February t the Commonwealth Government cabled the. Secretary of State-Tor the Colonies, agreeing to the "War Office proposals; On the same date General liirdwood was informed of the Government's decision, and he replied as follows on the following day;— '; "'Thank you .very mucn for your cable of February 2. lam most grateful for all 'the consideration which has been shown, -me.' <

communications had an 'import-ant-effect on'the numbers, which it was contemplated would have' been- requested, and also on the period over which they would have to be raised, as they meant that-in order to comply with the promise" of the Government, as modified at the request of the War Office, IiOD.OUO troops would require to be dispatched by tne end of June, 1916.

"It will be teen that these ■ modifications were made at the request, and on the suggestion of the War Office, and were not proposed by the Commonwealth Government. At tne same time, the Government does hot take the view that i its offer.of November 26, 1915, exhausts the possibilities of Australia, so far as contributions of lighting troops are concerned, and the Acting-Prime Minister, :in statements made, has endeavoured to make this point clear, and has appealed to Hie various lecniitiug organisations throughout the Commonwealth to continue their efforts to gain recruits. : "The latest available figures show that ;up to May. 6, 1916, there had, embarked from Australia 18'J,00U troops, and there ■were in training throughout Australia approximately 62,01)0, making a total of 551,000. Divided into -military.- districts, the figures work out as follows:— ' ' . rn . District. Embarked. Training First (Queensland) 23,799 10,925 Second tN.S.W.) .'. 72,466 20.2G3 Third (Victoria) 52.057 18,231 Fourth (S. Australia)... 18,615 5,333 Fifth (W. Australia) ... 15,511 5,580 Sixth (Tasmania) 6,728 1,851 Totals 189,208 62,183