REPORT ON EX-SERVICEMEN'S EMPIRE TALKS

Chronicle (Levin), 15 August 1947, Page 5

REPORT ON EX-SERVICEMEN'S EMPIRE TALKS

■ Press Association)

(Per

AUCKLAND, August 14. The high reputatioh that New Zea land troops had established for them selves among the English people, wa; remarkable, said Mr. C. O. Bell, presi dent of the ' New Zealand Returneu Bervices' Association, -who returned ivith-the immediate past president, Mr. B. Jacobs, oh the' flying boat after af. tending the British .mnpire Serviee League conference in London. He saciu the " British people were cheerful in spite of present living conditions atiu would survive the present financia; ditiiculties if they received sulfieieni assistance from the Empire. Repres.entatives from 22 differeni constituents of the British Gommon wealth of Nations were present at thc conference, said Mr. Bell., Rehabilita tion sehemes in the countri.es fepresenl ed -were the su'bject of reports to th« conference but beeause of the varyin^ circumstances, it was difficult to com pare them. The rights of returned servicemer. and the possibilities of their being reciprocated between members of the league, were discussed and consideralion was also given to the part playeb by ex-servicemen as stabilising in fluences in their respective eountries, 'for the preservation of world peace. The prospects of forming a federation of ex-servicemen organisations from the Allied nations, was discussed but was found impracticable beeause there was not such an organisation in Russia or the eountries under Russian influence. In France there were thi'ec ex-service bodies, two of which were party political, said Mr. Bell. It was decided to make closer liaison with tlnAinerican Legion. Beeause the economies of the com ponent eountries of the Empire were, to a large extent, influencing the rehabilitation sehemes, the conference also discussed Empire preferences. Mr. Bell said the conference met from June 29 to July 5 after which he an'd Mr. Jacobs went to Seotlanu with the Scottish Legion and across to Brussells and Paris where members of Ihe British Legion were helping to find war, graves including those of some New Zealanders. While. in London members were en tertained by his Majesty at a cocktail party. ' Viscount Addison, Dominion Secretary, also entertained the visitors