THE EXPEDITIONARY FORCES.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 November 1917, Page 2

THE EXPEDITIONARY FORCES.

.. FOURTH BRIOAD.E BROKEN' UP. (From Our Own Correspondent).. Wellington, -N'ov.. 14. It is stated authoritatively that, the Fourth Brigade, New Zealand Expeditionary Force, js being broken up and used to reinforce the Division. This brigade was formed originally of accumulated reinforcements at a time when Xew Zealand had many men in hand, over and above the strength of the, Division, in France and Britain. The Minister for Defence stated at the time that the new Brigade would not be reinforced and would not be regarded as a permanent unit of tli© Expeditionary Force. It would lie broken up when the men were required for their original purpoge. This lime is considered now to have come, owing to tho heavy New Zealand casualties in the recent fighting, , The breaking up of the Fourth Brigade has an immediate bearing upon the question of the rate of exhaustion of the ■Second Division. The Minister for Defence has announced already tbat owing to the reduction of the monthly reinforcement quota one draft of recruits, and probably two drafts, will be dropped. The position at present is that New Zealand has men in hand, both here and overseas, over and above the reasonable reserves that must bo maintained behind the fighting units. There is reason to believe that the Defence authorities intend to absorb these men, while at the same time maintaining the reserves, before proceeding very far with the mobilisation of the Second Division. A great deal depends upon the casualty rate. If the winter casualties should be light, as they were last year,-the dropping of two drafts of recruits at this end will-be a simple .matter. The Government will not in any case endanger the maintenance of the Division and the other units at their full fighting strength. The date of the next ballot has not yet been fixed. The ballot may not be taken until early in January.' If that is the case it probably will be a double ballot and this would .amount to calling up the balance of the Class A men en, bloc. This point has not yet been settled finally and it is possible that a ballot will have to be taken before-Christ-mas in order to give the- men their promised twelve weeks' leave between medical examination and mobilisation.