Can New Zealand Stand It.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume XLV, Issue XLV, 10 August 1917, Page 3

Can New Zealand Stand It.

(The Sun, Christchurch.) New Zealand is approaching the most critical phase in her whole history. If the war does not end in the meantime, and our military policy remains as at present, in a year's time this young and growing country will be faced with an exceedingly grave situation, the result of sending al! fit single and married men of military age to the front. The Minister of Defence expects to call up the first of the Second Division reservists in October or November. All men, with four children under the age of sixteen, are to be balloted. The Second Divison may provide quotas at the existing rate for twelve months. When its classes are exhausted, New Zealand's aupply of fighting men will and must cease. That is one point. Another is that the Dominion's civil business will be seriously interfered with; it ia inevitable that the conscription of, say, 30,000 of the most important tax-paying, revenue-earning class will be attended with grave financial and economic consequences. With both First and Second Divisions denuded of their primest manhood, the country will have to find substitute labour and brains to replace those taken for soldiering. It seems to us an impossible taßk. There are thousands of small farmers in the Second Division. If wholesale exemptions are not to apply, bow can we produce the foodstuffs and wool required by the Imperial authorities and at the same time bleed the country of it? producers? How is it possible to avoid the ruinous dislocation of trade that must result if the Government strips the Dominion of available man of fighting age? We Bubmit in all good faith that that policy is both fatal to our national welfare and unnecessary: that the time bBB come to drop sentiment for common sense. In proportion to her population New Zealand has to date done as well as any of the Allies, not excepting France. That is a big thing to say, but it is true. For instance, take the appended figures—which can be only roughly approximate —of the fighting strengths as represented by the number of men between the ages of 20 and 45, and the contributions so far as ia known:— Men Men available sent New Zealand 240,000 (say) 85,000 Canada (say) 1,760,000 „ 425,000 Australia 1,000,000 ~ 366,000 U.S.A. 22,000,000 ~ 25,000 The Canadian Prime Minister stated recently that Canada's limit was to be 500,000 men. On a proportional basis New Zealand, which has Bet no limit, would contribute 72,000, and Australia 312,000 men. The latter has four Divisions at the front to keep up to strength, and she is finding the task difficult under the vsluntar.y system of recruiting. Worked out again in proportion to the respective fighting strengths, if New Zealand provides 100,000 soldiers, Canada's contribution should be 704,000, and Australia's 440,000. Further, If New Zealand's present rate of reinforcements is maintained for the next twelve months, at the end of that time she will have sent nearly one in two of her total fighting strength, and nearly one third of her male population over the age of ten. That is what it will come to if the Government continues its policy of exhaustion and Germany is not defeated in a year from the present. Is it a load such a country as this should be asked to bear, now that, for the asking, there are millions of Americans available for training, and within easy distance of the firing line? America has had the protection of the Allies even when she was not at war with Germany. She is under us deep obligation! to the British Fleet as is any of the Alließ. Now definitely one of the League of Civilisation, she is called on to add to her supply of munitions that of fighting men. It is America's tern to take up the burden and relieve as much as possible the pressure on those of her Allies who have borne thus far the brunt of the conflict, and she is ready to do so. Transports, whose services are of untold value these days, could make eight trips to the States in the time that it would take to come to New Zealand and carry Home one of our quotas. We hope Ministers and members will examine these facts and figures. Once more we urge on the Government the need for a review of the whole position. There is no suggestion that our lads now at the front should be left without reinforcements. But, without shadowing in any way the lustre of her name and fame, New Zealand could reduce her offerings in men to a figure more commensurate with her capacity and domestic needs.