THE FIRST DIVISION.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1714, 19 May 1917, Page 3

THE FIRST DIVISION.

ALMOST 4(1,000 LEFT, PROVISION I’OD FUTUDE i)li’A FThS. AT LEAST FIVE MONTHS’ SLT!MjY. Si !■!■!iii'ii has been prepared by the Government Statistician (Mr Malcolm Eraser) sliowiny Ihe number of men remaining in the Ist Division of Iho Expeditionary Korea Deserve on the conclusion id’ the seventh ballot on May 3rd. The lolal is 3b,(120, as ayainsi 48,004 on the eonein.-don of the sixth ballot. Tims, in the four-weekly period intervening between the ballot . it,044 men have been disposed of. 8.33(1 of these by ballot. This hip' reduelion in the Deserve is tine mainly to the fact that in the last ballot live men were drawn for every recruit required, to meet the higher standard of medical fitness. In the previouballot the proportion was 4 to I, ami prior to that: 3 to 1. it is extremely improbable that the proportion will be increased ayaiu, so that the number removed from the Deserve on this occasion, 0,04-1 may be regarded as the maximum rate of exhaustion, provided that voluntary enlistments from both the Ist and 2nd Divisions continue, on about the same scale. This means that, in the Deserve of men who have not yet been touched by the ballot there ;s at least, four months' supply of recruits. To this must be added the number- of men yra tiled temporary exemptions, which will be reviewed before the 2nd Division is called upon, also the .men who have been rejected by the Medical hoards, and whose ease- will be reviewed to see if there Im- been an alteration in iiie meantime. Further, there are youth.- every day allaininy the aye of DO, and eoiiiin.y automatically within the scope of (he Deserve. The contlnny out, and oilier sources mentioned, may he relied upon to furnish recruits for at least one draft, hut more probably two, so that if will probably be December or November al the earliest before the 2nd Division comes into the ballot. Voluntary .recruitiny for the 32ml Deinfommumls will be closed down shortly, probably al the end of next week, and the ballot to make <><l deficiencies will take place in the sueecediny week.