OUR REINFORCEMENTS.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 March 1918, Page 2

OUR REINFORCEMENTS.

A WF.'.iNt! IMPRESSION. (From Uur O.vn Correspondent.) A question asked in (he House of Commons with regard to Xew Zealand rein-fom-nionfs suggests there is an impression m some ,|iiiir(.ers that the present rate ot rcin!o;-ccme>if, is net suriicient to maintain the Dominion's forces in (he ''"■'' - There is no g„„,l ~,., ,„„!. „ s far a* < in he judged at present, for such an imp'-essin,,. The present inonllilv quota m based upon recorded figures of wastage and it is intended to maintain the Nee.- Zealand Division and Ihe other Now Zealand units at their full Held slron-'th The Minister for Defence has stated more th..n oiii-e that : i the quota proves madeqn.ileit will have to be increased again. There was a period of the war when New Zealand was sending monthly n»aiiy throe times as many men as are beinr. •sent now, but they were not. all rennire,l for reinforcements. ItVas from' the Miiplus reinforcements that (he 3rd and llh infantry hrigar.es uero created, while the artillery was expanded from the original Main Body strength to divisional strength on the enlarged basis shown to be recossary by the war. Now the 4th brigade, which was an extra unit ove k and above the division, is being broken up and the release of its men is "a factor in making pos.-010 the present reduction cf the reinforcement i|iiola. The Defence authorities realise that (here can be no o.v.iot calculations as to wr.Miigo. The fighting of this year m i<;ht make it necessary for New Zealand to ,nc!v:isi. reniini-cciiu-uls bovond the present rale, li (liru should be i'„c case the an.;egemeuls can be made without, son. Milieulty. lint U,„ , m ]i,. v now is lo keep romlorcemonls at the minimum rate croc stout with (he full dichiirgo of our ol,; : e;Mions. At the present rate il is "lic'.eil that - 'eland can fn/je miotic..' two years . car without sending away a short reinforcement