STRENGTH OF OUR FORCES.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 September 1918, Page 5

STRENGTH OF OUR FORCES.

GREATER THAN ANY OTHER division. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Wellington, Sept. 7. The messages of the official war correspondent, as well its the occasional references in Sir Douglas Haig's reports, show tlmt the New Zealand Division has been in the firing-line for more than a month. During that time it has dislodged the Germans from many strong positions, pursued the retreating enemy across many miles of country, captured Bapaume. and accumulated prisoners, guns, and booty on a large scale. The Division has not only merely fought well on every occasion; it has proved its capacity for a long-sustamed effort under conditions that must have produced casualties and placed a severe strain on the endurance of the men. The record is a proud one, and it is one for which the Defence authorities here may take an important share of credit. The New Zealand Division is probably the strongest division on the West front to-ct*,y. That sounds a 'bold statement, but it can be supported by facts. The strength,of the Division has never been reduced, and the reserves behind it have always been ample- It is no secret that the British. French. Australian, and probably the Canadian, divisions, are smaller than they used to be, though the reduction lias not been, pearly so great as in the case of the enemy divisions, which have been brought down as low as 10,00fl men. The nominal strength of the New Zealand Division is in the neighborhood of 22,000 men, and the staff has always been in a position to, draw fully trained reinforcements 0 from the reserves a-s required, Tt may be noted in this connection r that the extra reinforcements sent from , this country in response to,the request ' m.a'de by the Imperial authorities after tne ibig (ierm.ift advnnce hv March were not required at the time. The New Zealand Division did not become engaged in continuous he,avy fighting until last (. month and the reinforcements accuinu--1 lated. The result is that the Division, j to-day, has a tireless punch that must j be exceedingly disconcerting to the Germans called upon to endure it. The a point of policy involved in the despatch of the large reinforcements need not be l discussed here. But there can be no doubt about the value of that extra ef- ,, fort, from the point of view of the (?enorpl Officer Commanding in the field toJ rfnv - " : 3 The extra reinforcements imposed less j strain upon the Dominion than soma e people have imagined. The return of invalided men has to 'be taken into account. Tf the returns are balanced against departures, the net decrease of n New Zealand's man-power at this end is found t& be, roughly, 7000 for, the year ended June 30 last. The reserves at the front are still large, in spite of recent casualties.