The Call for Men.

Taihape Daily Times, 13 April 1918, Page 5

The Call for Men.

HASTENING REINFORCEMENTS. / WELLINGTON, April 11. The Prime Minister to-day made his promised statement in the House of Representatives regarding the additional effort to be made by the 'rime Minister of Britain. Mr Massey said that at the beginning of the crisis a message-Sad been received from the Prime Minister of Britain. That message, which had been published in the newspapers, had been supplemented by another message, which was secret and confidential, giving fujrthex particulars and details, the position on the date, when the appeal for more men was made, and a forecast of what might. be expected within the next few nfbnths. This information could not be divulged to the House, and be mentioned the fact to show that the Government did not act without sufficed reasons. Oh receipt of this telegram certain measures were taken immediately. The first fning to be done was to put forward the departure of the next two drafts of reinforcements, for which, fortunately, ships were practically ready and available. The sailing of one rein- 1 forcement had been put forward by one week, and that of the second by three weeks. This, of course, meant, that the reinforcements about to go into camp would require to be assembled at correspondingly earlier dates, and this would entail the mobilisation of the first draft of the Second Division men a month earlier than was anticipated. EXTRACTS FROM OFFICIAL REPLY. To the second message, in which a request was made that a tank battalion should be formed out of accumulated reinforcements, a reply was sent, from which he made the following extracta: 7* " (1) The Government would approve of the formation of the tank battalion from reserves at present in England.' '"'" r> " (2) The forty-first"reinforcements will'be brought into camp four weeks earlier than notified, and the fortysecond reinforcements will be- assembled: five weeks earlier. ; ~.-.,,., ''■" " (3) The thirty-sixth and thirty* seventh reinforcements, will be sent from New Zealand, fully trained, one week and three weeks, respectively, prior to the normal dates of despatch. "(4) The New Zealand Government is willing that any surplus of reserves in England may be usee! at the..front. if, in the opinion of the militaYy authorities,, including the.:general in .command of the Ai-my Corps, they are rev quired, having due regard to the fact that' the scarcity of shipping may make it difficult for- reinforcements** tobe forwarded regularly from here;,--"The Prime Minister desires further to inform His Excellency that the New Zealand Government is prepared to increase the monthly draft to the number considered necessary, and on this point particularly Ministers will be glad to hear from the Secretary of State at the earliest possible date." Mr. Massey said the tank battalion would be 700 strong, and that It would have to be reinforced at the rate of 50 per month. In connection with paragraph 2, above quoted, he could say that as a result of the decision arrived at the forty-first reinforcements, which were due to mobilise from May 28 to June 1, Would now assemble from April 30 to May 4, and the forty-second draft, due to mobilise from June 25 to June 29, would now be brought into camp from May 21 to May 25. Both of the drafts would be composed partly of Second Division men. He added that in his opinion the number of men in the reinforcements would have to be Increased considerably, and he had ini formed the Imperial Government that we were willing to increase the rein- ', forcements. What the increase in numbers would <be he was not in a position to state at present, but advice was daily and hourly expected from the Imperial Government on the subject, and the matter would then be definitely settled. Mr. Massey said his reply to the first message from the Imperial Governmnt contained the following: "New Zealand has pledged herself to maintain her present establishment of the Expeditionary Forces in the field, whatever the sacrifice. New Zealand has invariably supplied to the full every man required at the rate of reinforcements indicated, from time to time by the Imperial Government. His Majesty's Government has now again only to indicate to the New Zealand Government if increased reinforce ments are required, and they will be supplied. It is requested that an ear-' ly reply be sent, giving details of /hew etsimates of monthly reinforcements ; as a result of the present fighting."