THE REINFORCEMENTS.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 December 1917, Page 2

THE REINFORCEMENTS.

THE MARRIED MEN DRAFTS. (From Our Own Correspondent J. < Wellington, Dec. ft The effect of the reduction of the reinforcement quota is being revealed by instalments. Defence Headquarters announced to-day that no draft will enter camp in January, and that the men already a?signed to the January, February and March drafts will be set back ft month. This, means that the 38th Reinforcements will go into eamp In Februarj, the 87th In March, arfd 38th early in April and the 39th ,at the beginning of May. The first hatch of married men, from among those drawn in the twelfth ballot, will enter camp with the 38th Reinforcements during the period April 2April fi. 'This arrangement may be regarded as final. The first married men to be mobilised will have had five months' notice. It seems certain now, as the' Minister for Defenco has indicated already, that tlu- mobilisation.. of the Class fl jnen (married ismn with one child) will not bo?in before the end of August. No ballot ted men of Class C (two children) are likely to reach camp before the early months of IBID. These reductions and postponements naturally suggest a question as to hpw 'the New Zealand Division is going to be maintained on the new scale 'if reinforcements. The fact is that New Zealand Jias done a hit more than vas necessary for the mere maintenance of its lohxa dicing the first throe yeais of the war and has now men in hand. The last time the Minister for Defence made ft general statement on. the position, during the parliamentary session, he said that in addition to the Division of about ?-?,C ( 00 men, we lia.l t.lFourth Brigade containing 4.'500 men. an immediate rctervo at Etapies of 50iK) men and a further 10,000 men >n England. There were then reinforcements on tlio »vi'.tor .and others have since left this country. Tim figures indicate that there 5s no ilansev of the Dominion failing in its undertaking to <keep the Division at full strength.