NEW ZEALAND'S DUTY.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 July 1915, Page 7

NEW ZEALAND'S DUTY.

To tlio Editor. Sir, On fltii July, Lord Kitclicm r said to the people of Britain, "the vital need was more and still more men,'' and yet they must have somewhere about 3,000,000 men under army. To do her share on a population basis New Zealand should have 75.000. She has 25,000 only. At the same time (including these) the men not required to produce and export our primary products number at least 75,000. So that apart from any question of what is her fair share New Zealand can spare another 50,000 at once.

And yet on the J 3th July the Minister said: ''He hoped there would be no attempt to interfere with the well-thought out scheme (i.e., for the present reinforcements). He would lay on the table a memorandum on the whole subject hv the Chief of the General Staff." lii that 1 memorandum it' is stated: ■"We have to. prepare for a war which may Last for three years. It would be an everlasting disgrace to New Zealand if before the war came to an end she had to confess that she could not maintain her Expeditionary Force in the field. The honor of putting a large number of units into the field ati the one time would be forgotten in the failure to maintain them there. We must prepare, for a long war, and it is essential that we should count the cost, and make sure that our resources of men are organised in such a manner as to last to the finish. New Zealand must not be exhausted before peace lias been declared. Sir, this is rank heresy, and notwithstanding the great respect the country has for its author in his military capacity, and notwithstanding that it was put forward by the Minister, it must be utterly repudiated by the country.

Kitchener wants men. What on earth does it matter whether we em keep our separate unit or not? For the sake of that unit we are asked to refuse to send men. The plain fact is that the country i? getting no lead on the matter, and tint if wc, the people, do not instantly bestir ourselves we shall go down to history with an everlasting disgrace upon our name. We have not provided more than one man for Britain's three; wc have not shared or offered to share the extra cost of the war over and above men; and now when the Mother Country is making an unrestricted call on her own sons wc are asked to hang back. The memorandum was obviously pre.pared, weeks ago, and is out of date on an absolutely vital point. It states "the Imperial Governiiient up to the present has requested that all men should take rifles with them from New Zealand." Yet weeks ago "a reply came (i.e.. from England) that if New Zealand sent the men to England they would arm them with rifles" (the Minister on Ist .July). New Zealand'refused. "The reason for that was that if we were to send men to train in England tlicv would receive Imperial rates of pay ami Imperial pensions, and there wotml he a serious conflict between the New Zealand and British sections." If t'le British authorities are satisfied to receive the men and arm them, what validity is there in the objection? The plain fact stands out that Kit'cliener lias offered to arm the men we send and wc. won't send them.

How many men has France put in the field? Kverv available man. Has she held them back from arming so that they can heroine, reinforcements ill two years? There would be 110 ("ranee today if she had adopted any such folly. And if we do we may become a C!cnm;n colony. Let the generals on the sp.it arrange the reinforcements when we have supplied the armed men. If need be abandon our distinctive New Zealand unit. But for Clod's sake, citizens of New Zealand, sweep aside the present tangle and insist that New Zealand shall press on to send forward in the next six months at least 50,000 men.- -- I. am. etc., S. A. ATKIXSOX. Wellington. July M, J<)ls.