HOW MANY MEN?

Taranaki Daily News, 5 June 1917, Page 6

HOW MANY MEN?

OUR COMMITMENT TO THE HOME

GOVERNMENT. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Wellington, June 1. The Wellington Second Division League is asking the Government for information regarding the commitments of New Zealand in connection with the Expeditionary Force and the strength of the reinforcement drafts. Much "of the information is already available in official records and has been published in the newspapers from time to time. Among the League's questions are the following: What number of men has the Government promised the Imperial authorities on behalf of New Zealand? ' What is the strength of the main foodies to be maintained in all fields ? What is the number of men for eadi reinforcement? Is any limit to be placed on the total number of men to bo sent from New Zealand? New Zealand's original undertaking was to maintain a main body of 7,701 men for the duration of the war. That force was offered and accepted at the beginning of the war, when the Imperial recruiting authorities were talking in hundreds of thousands instead of in millions, and long before the Empire at large had realised the full magnitude of the effort, that would be required to secure victory. The main body was swelled by additions as circumstances demanded. and when the Gallipoli campaign closed New Zealand was maintaining reinforcements on a force of 14.000 men.

Subsequently the New Zealand Division was formed. *The Division contains nearly 21.000 men. and in addition there is the New Zealand Mounted Rifle Brigade and some attached units, amounting to about 1800 men. Thus New Zealand now has to maintain reinforcements on a force of rather more than 22,000. men. The percentage rate of reinforcement is not as great as it was in the, case of the original main body, and the number of men required to be sent away from New Zealand in each four-weekly period is in the neighborhood of 2.200.

The Minister for Defence has stated more than once that no limit has been placed on the number of men to b'e sent from New Zealand. The (Dominion Government is no better able than the Imperial Government to say how long the war will last and how many men will be required to complete the work the Empire has'taken in hand. But the Utterances of the Ministers ion, the point 'have made it quite clear that the New Zealand Government proposes to keep the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in the field until the close of the war. The obligation in that respect must be plain to everybody, and its discbarge will necessitate the maintenance of reinforcements.