WAR EQUIPMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 October 1919, Page 10

WAR EQUIPMENT.

COMING OUT TO NEW ZEALAND. TO ARRIVE EARLY NEXT YEAR. Tlie equipment belonging to the New Zealand Division which fought on the Western front is not expected to commence to arrive in the Dominion until the early part of sext year. This equipment, as the Minister has already explained, is sufficient for two divisions. Under the financial arrangements made by tlio New Zealand Government on the outbreak of war, and sanctioned by the New Zealand Parliament, it was decided that New Zealand should pay the whole cost of maintaining her force in the field, which included not only the cost of paying, feeding, and clothing the members of the NZ.E.F., but also the total cost of equipment, replacements, ammunition, etc. Under the stress of campaigning with guns, etc., being frequently knocked but and others again being worn out, it became necessary to accumulate large numbers of sipares, so that the Division wourd never suffer unnecessary losses of men in the field through the lack of sufficient spare equipment wh/ch iauta always be instantly available. In other words, it was just as necessary to keep up a constant flow of materials and equipment for the division fighting in the field as it was to keep up the supply of reinforcements. The result was tiiat when the war concluded New Zealand not only had her division fully equipped in the field, but also had big reserves of .Reinforcements, equipment and materials available in France, England, and New Zealand. The vast majority of the men have already been demobilised, but the up-to-date guns and equipment for which the New Zealand taxpayer has paid re. main. It is this material, estimated to be sufficient to arm two divisions, arid most of which is almost brand new, that is being brought out to New Zealand. !

_ In order to clear up any misapprehen-1 sion that may exist in this connection, it may be explained that the material! thus fceing brought out will only De sufficient to properly equip the same number of troops as we had at the beginning of the war. The New Zealand home defence forces in 1914 were not fully equipped, as tha guns, £tc., were being purchased gradually; then the New Zealand home defence forces lost practically all the modern equipment they had, as it was sent overseas with the Expeditionary Force. Indeed, so short did New Zealand become of modern arms arid equipment, that nearly the whole of the reinforcement drafts had to be sent abroad without arms or equipment at all. The normal New Zealand pre-war establishment, it may also be explained, Is only two divisions. New Zealand, as a result of the Great War, will thusi havs her two divisions fully equipped, instep of only partially equipped as before. The public also lias the satisfaction of knowing that this material has already been paid for, that its pruchase could not have been avoided, unless New Zealand was prepared to sacrifice her men unnecessarily in the field, and that the New Zealand citizen army of the future is to be properly equipped, enabling it to defend these shores; with some chance of success, and without paying too high a price in .casualties.