RETURNING SOLDIERS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 175, 13 April 1918, Page 11

RETURNING SOLDIERS

NO. NOTIFICATIONS TO RELATIVES

A question arising', out'of the complaints ■ made regarding the Defence Department's arrangements in connection with the arrival of returned soldiers at Auckland on March 15 was asked in the House of llepresentativus yesterday by Mr. C. J. Parr. He reminded tho Minister of Defenco that lie had promised to inquire into the complaints, and he wished to know whether lie would state tho result of his investigation. Sir j allies Allen said that an. inquiry had been mado and a copy of the report'received had been sent;to the Mayor of Auckland, who had replied stating that ho did not wish to proceed aiiy further in tho matter. Mr. Parr, Mr. J. S; Dickson, arid other members:. But the public waut to know all about it'l Sir James Allen said that ho would bo glad to lay tho report on tho table to-morrow.' 'The. difficulties in" connection with the arrival of returned soldiers, lie-,said, -were, very great,-aud were. becoming "greater.. Under instructions from the Imperial authorities the use of wireless by tho ships was. being discontinued. ,'Xlio sending of wireless messages might bo extremely dangerous. It was- well I'iiown that the Matunga had been captured by the Wolf through disobeying orders by sending wireless messages. Wo could not afford to disobey tho instructions received from the Home Country. The position now was that the Department would not know anything, about .a ship until it arrived. It might bo necessary to cease sending notifications to the next-of-kin, but lie hoped that it would be possible to avoid taking . such a.step. It might even be neoessary to discontinue the practice of relatives going to meet soldiers at the first port of call. It would be very regrettable if this were necessity, but it might have to be dono.