NEW ZEALAND AID.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 June 1915, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND AID.

WHAT WILL ISK NKBDIiU. . " ' I. A THREE YEARS' WAR. A Ti'TAL OF liti.OOO MEN. Noi'ivKli'taiiiliiig the fact that the ■ ..-.itioii i];i-i l.ei-H made clear oil M-veral ,-casinu.-, a good deed of misappreliriiou still appeal's to exist, regarding hat New Zcaln-n! is doing i» smiling ion to tile front, especially as compared •ilk Canada, 'and Australia, states the lellingtoiiU'Ool. What Australia is- doing 'ha.-: been iteil as a special example. It ha.; been ointed out, to the di;-'i'.ri'agciuciit of

lew Zealand, that Australia is sending einfovceinent.s at the rate oi oliiii) per uouth, and is taking men into camp ininediately they enlist, instead of ill Ira ft* as is done in Mew Zealand. These, lowevc.r, are not i'aircomparis-uns. Ails.rnlia has live times New Zealand's Herniation, and what New Zealand is leing nu. .t. .therefore he viewed in p;'olertion. Taking ollicial aimouuced totals nto consideration, and working out the >erco!ita;.;es of the reinforcemeiits -r'epiired fof the new units already author--sed, New Zealand's reinforc/fvfent drafts for itlie future may be rouutily estimated it about 14IW per moiithi. With five times the population, Australia, to' equal this efi'ert, would require to send reinforcements at- the' rate of 7(K)!> pc? mouth. Instead, her monthly drafts only total ."iHHO. Eurt'uer facts in New Zealand's favor are that she has never ivd'.'-ce.i the physical standard required for her recruits since the beginning of the war, and has likewise never aUe'.'ed tlie age, which still stands at from 20 to 4!)' years. Australia, on the otlier hand, has altered her standard on several occasions, the existing ages for re-

cruits being from, IS to 45 years, the minimum height 6ft 3in, and the chest measurement 33in.. The result is thai.. New Zealand is still recruiting men of the same high standard imposed in August last, whereas Australia has lowered hers considerably. Australia, while doing less than New .Zealand upon a proportional basis, is also ill dilliculties ill getting recruits; New Zealand is not, but requires nil the men she can get for her future reinforcement drafts. The New Zealand system of sending men into camp in regular drafts, it is maintained, also possesses several distinct advantages. w'hich maybe given as followt (1) Uniformity of training; (2) less expense: to the country; (3) giving every recruit ample tiuie in which to settle his personal affairs; (4) enabling the authorities to make adequate provision beforehand for the housing, feedipg am equipment of every mail arriving ir camp. . ' ,

WIIIAT OCR EFFORT MEANS. It. was pointed out iby the I'ost oil Tuesday last that under'existing commitments New Zealand is bound by April next to supply not less than '40.1T0 men, properly trained and equipped, for service overseas, and that if the war lasts three years, as originally forecasted by Lord Kitcbenej', New Zealand to meet her existing obligations must increase this numiber to at least OIUI'K) men. Exactly what this means may be better realised, perhaps, by several comparisons. The (!li,(;W) men mentioned represent in actual numbers a greater force than that -with which Sir John, I-'reii'.-li opened the famous retreat fro' \ Mens; they are. more than twice the number of English with whom 'Wellington changed the history of the world at the battle of \Vaterloo, and, last, but by no means least, they represent more than twice the strength of the New Zealand Territorial Army under compulsory military training. These are impressive figures, but their value is enhanced when it is considered what the remainder, of the Empire will require to do to equal X«w Zealand's effort in proportion to population. Australia, to do the same, will require to' contribute some ,'Rft 0;1(I men. Canada 402.000 and Groat Britain 2.!WU)00. New Zealand, in other words, assuming the war lasts the tlirep-year period', is committed to supplying the same number of. men as Great-Britain on the basis of a 3,000,000 army. ADVICE TO RECRUITS. There is reason- to believe that numbers of New Zealanders, chafing at the delay of getting into camp under the veinfiirceiuent. draft- system, propose going to Australia, where they will be taken into camp immediately to make up Australia's deficiency in recruits. The hone, however, is expressed that they will not do so. New Zealand, while s J he limy have a fairlv large number of men on the waiting lists at present, is faced with the prospect of being in difficulties for men later on, and if the. necessary numbers are not fortlicomThg the dominion will be placed in the position of being unable to meet her obligations. The situation, moreover, may be accentuated at any time by New Zealand being required to send still more new units and increasing the rate of her reinforcements. The task ahead of the. dominion, assuming a long war, is therefore no inconsiderable one, and it is hoped that men desirous of getting immediately into camp will be patient, recognising that the present system of sending men to Trentham in regular drafts is the best, as ensuring the greatest efficiency and economy. In the meantime, every man who can is urged to register, and to keep his position until he is called up.