REPATRIATION.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16433, 29 January 1919, Page 6

REPATRIATION.

EVERY MAN IN HIS TURN

(special to "the PRESS.")

-WELLINGTON, January 23.

An impression has arisen that it it only necossary to mako special application for the return of a soldier, to secure his repatriation out of his turnThere are somo classes of men who will come back out of tho strict order. Those were enumerated recently by the Minister of I>efenco. But with these exceptions, there aro serious objections to bring back any man out of his turn, aa not only does such a course prevent somo other man from boing returned who, from long service, ought to bo returned, but it also causes dissatisfaction in the group of men from which ho has bpen picked out for return in priority to tho rest. The nolicy of tho Government is to bring back first those men who hnve had the longest service, and that no man can be specially returned out of that order unless specific reasons aro shown arising out of death or serious illness, or other calamity—roasons which had not been in existence when the man joined tho service or left New Zealand. The reasons, in brief, should be such that had they existed before the man left this country, ho would havq been able to secure release from servico bv appealing to a Military Service Board.