The Dominion. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1916. MAINTAINING OUR REINFORCEMENTS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2870, 7 September 1916, Page 4

The Dominion. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1916. MAINTAINING OUR REINFORCEMENTS

The Defence Authorities appear to bo displaying quite unnecessary anxiety just now to make out a case to .demonstrate the success which has attended the voluntary system of recruiting. Their anxiety in this, direction probably arises from a desire to correct in tho clearest possible .manner the inaccurate statement of the London Times as to the failure of voluntaryism in New Zealand. While we have every sympathy with the Dclencc Authorities in their efforts to set right the London journal, which certainly was very unfortunate in the manner in which it, presented this country's position, we fear that in their zeal the Defence officials who supply the information to tho Press are overdoing tho matter. The voluntary system no doubt is an excellent thing up to a point, and the response of the young men of tlio Dominion to the call made to their patriotism has been truly splendid. The latest figures published on the point state that no fewer than 100,000 men have voluntarily offered their services in this way, which, considering our population, is a quite remarkable achievement. But in making out their case for the success of the voluntary system, tho compilers of the statistics show an inclination to unduly stress paper returns, and may do very real harm by creating an impression that the response made in the past has lessened the urgency of the present call for men.

AVc find, for instance, great emphasis law! on the fact that the number of men now in camp is sufficient to supply the Ilcinforcements for the next four months, and it is further stated that there are- 4000 to 5000 men waiting to be called up; also that there is a reserve in camp of about 1000 men available to till vacancies. It is not surprising that when such statements as these are officially made tho young mon of tho community should feel that there is no immediate necessity for enlisting. The truth of the matter is that tho admirable condition of things depicted in these gratifying records belong to the past rather, than to tho present. Wc have every reason to'bo rjroucl of the manner in

which men have responded in tho past, and of tho numbers which we still have available for future Reinforcements as the result of past enlistments. But we cannot live in the past. We are told that there is still a shortage of between 700 and 800 in tho number of recruits required to bring the Twenty-first Reinforcements up to their full quota. The shortage is spread over the whole Dominion; every military district has supplied less than the number expected from it. T.hat is the fact which should be concerning the Defence Department, and no doubt it is. But do the officers of that Department think that they are helping to remedy tho situation by their repeated references to the numbers available for earlier Reinforcements 1 Do they not see that they arc- handicapping instead of helping the various recruiting bodies by all this talk about the numbers of recruits that have already come forward and are still available 1 The motives of tho Defence Authorities may be excellent, but the effect of their recent attitude is likely to do injury 'to recruiting. There is, of course,* the machinery of the compulsory system to fall back on if occasion should require it, but that is another matter. The Defence Minister apparently is desirous of continuing the voluntary system as long as_ possible, and that.being tho caso, his Department might well devote, its energies to providing material likely to stimulate recruiting rather than to over-stressing statistics which have the opposite effect.