RETURNED SOLDIERS' COMPLAINTS

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 2456, 8 May 1915, Page 6

RETURNED SOLDIERS' COMPLAINTS

AN OUTSPOKEN LETTER. COLONEL BRAJTHWAITE'S COMMENTS. (By Telecr<iDh.-!'re=n Association.) Auckland, May 7. Towards tho end of January last a number of complaints were made public by members of tho Expeditionary Force who were returned to the Dominion for various reasons. Mr. J. R. Reed, K.C., asked tho public to suspend judgment as to tho truth or otherwise of grievances until those upon whom the reflections have been made had an opportunity of being heard. Mr. Reed wrote to Headquarters, Zeitoun Camp, Cairo, and yesterday received a reply from Lieut.-Col. AY. G, Braithwaite, General Staff Officer of tho New Zealand and Australian Divisions, who, inter alia, said.--

"You deserve tho thanks of tho people of New Zealand and of soldiers of this force for so promptly exposing tho all-too-vicious habit adopted by the New Zealand Press of airing the socalled arievauoes of those men who have been returned to the Dominion either 011 account of sickness or for refusal to obey military orders. As you say, tho vast- majority of New Zealand people will pay littlo attention to comments of those men who have been sent home .is undesirab'es or for refusing to comply with orders, but at the same time ti'ere are a certain section cf the peop'-s who may be lea astray by this gossip, and 110 doubt many of the men quite enjoy tho notoriety oi being interviewed by Press corresp ndeuts. For those few men who returned to New Zealand on account of sickness we all from the General down have the greaiest sympathy, but as to the 45 men who were sent back because- ;.!:ey icfused to undergo inoculation against enteric fever, the New Zealand Expeditionary Force has nothing but supreme contempt. Before leaving New Zealand every soldier signed his fern, and in it he certified his willingness to be vaccinated. During the voyage these men wcro personally interviewed and exhorted by the medical ciliiers and their commanding olilcj.'s to under inoculation, as-by falling to do u. the} not only endangered their ovn lives but became a source of danger tt their comrades. Tip till the last immiU - they were repeatedly asked not to bo so foolish The G.O.C. nimseu interviewed them and triid hiv lest to induce them to bo inoculated. . Every officer iu the Expeditionary Force underwent inoculation. Many of us had been inoculated previously, but as an example to the men we thought it better to bo re-inoculated.

""With regard to other complaints, such as matters in connection with the canteens, food stuffs, gifts, etc., I w T ould like to draw your attention to the following facts. All goods were placed on board the transports entirely at the disposal of officers commanding tho troops, and from what I can gather were fairly and evenly distributed. At the outset special precautions were taken to prevent any admixture of gifts with canteen goods, and the various committees of officers, who were selected to manage the canteen on each ship were instructed to see that no gift goods found their way into the canteens. The sarrio thing applied on landing in Egypt. .' All canteen stores were packed on board ship in cases legibly branded "canteen," and were issued to the canteen supervisors from the supply depot into which everything went for distribution, with the exception of five cases of mullet, which being too small a quantity for issue? wero I sold, and tho gross amount divided between the different regimental funds. "Oh the whole, I think, we have been exceedingly free from complaints. The men are well fed. Their mess costs tho New Zealand Government 2s. 2d. per day, and they get full value for it. It is a pity that tho Press have allowed themselves to be interviewed by these men before ascertaining the real truth of the situation. Men who have misbehaved themselves and are sent back as a punishment are not in the least likely to give an accurate account of their domes or the reason for their return."