NEW ZEALAND'S' FORCES

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 251, 11 July 1918, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND'S' FORCES

4 ABOUT 115,000 MEN MOBILISED ADEQUATE RESERVES IN HAND The Minister of Deforce (Sir James Ii T\ saM Rt Helensville on Tuesday that New Znalnnd had sent awnv 95,0(i0 soldiers, and that 22,000 had returned, iliese figures are approximate, and they do not take count of tlio men at pre", sent in training at the military camps. .Hie total number of soldiers raised by New Zealand 9ince the outbreak of war considerably exceeded 100,000. Tho figures quoted bv the Minister show why it is possible for the NewZealand Government to decide unon a reduction'of the reinforcement quota at a time when much of this year's fighting probably still Ims to be done. If tho returned men and the dead are deducted from the total number of men scut away, and certain' other necessary allowances are, made, it will bs found that there ere"' roughly 150,000 men at present abroad. The nominal st.reii<»Hi of the New Zealand Division, the Mounted Bripadc. and the other units that require reinforcements, according to a. statement made by the Minister of Defence, is in the neiirtibourhood.of 23,500. The number of men sick nnd on lenve dnv bv.dav has been stated to be from 10,000 to 12,000 under norma] conditions. This leaves about. 2.1.000 men still to be accounted for. and of these a larjfe proportion are to be found in flic 'reserves iha+ snoport the N T ew Zealand Division. Tt should not be forßotten, of course, that headquarters' staffs and base staffs necessarily absorb many men. The events of the present year have, shown that the New Zealand reserves arc not too knre. Any division in ihe Allied line may have to bear the brunt of a German, massed attack, and the Nev Zealanders, under such conditions, could not wait while reinforcements were sent from this country. But the New Zenland reserves ar» larse enough to Rive a reasonable feelin? of securitv. They have been and are hem? slrenirtbcned bv the increased reinforcements sent sinw April, end the New Zealand command can face Ihe Tent of this year's dentin? without fenr that tho division may fail iii strength at a critical hour. Tt was 'officially stated some months aso that New Zealand Imd mobilisd for service with the Expeditionary Force 107.000 men. The number has since drown to about 115.000 mpn. This includes between 9000 and 10.000 recruits who hnivo been .discharond from tho 'inmns without serving abroad. It does not include officers nnd men of tho home establishment.