40th REINFORCEMENT

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 38, 8 November 1918, Page 7

40th REINFORCEMENT

CONDITION OF THE TRANSPORT STATEMENT BY DEFENCE MINISTER There was no overcrowding in tho Vessel conveying tho I'ortieth Reinforcement.;'* ,iaid tha Minister of Defence (Sir James Alien) in answer to a question in. the House of Representatives yesterday. ■ 'vlhe numbers carried* were less than thoso carried on previous voyages of tho' name vessel. According to-the'-accepted-.Ktaudnixls,tor,troopships tho vessel -was 'in-excess of requirements. : .1 do not consider a Royal Commission justified, as everything possible was done to provido i'or. the comfort and health of. the men." Replying to another question, the'Min.ibter said that no soldiers suspected of currying any fo'fni of infections disease were, permitted to embark on the trans-' port when she sailed on July. 10, 1918. Twenty-sixnion', contacts with a'case of 'scarlet fover. were in isolation during-the jueriod of training of the I'ortieth KeinI'orccmcht. With' the exception of this case tho reinforcement was singularly free of diseaso while undergoing training. '■Trior to the sailing of the Fortieth Reinforcement tho ■ transport had madeten voyages carrying troops," added the Minister. "On one of these trips—in 1916 —a, death from ccrobro-spinal meningitis occurred, and on the same trip another ilealii attributed, to influenza "was p/rohsibly due to cerebro-spiual meningitis! 'These two are the only deaths in ten; journeys duo to this cause. Since that j journey -in -191G- the -same transport has wade three voyages carrying troops withunt any. deaths from this cause, and. it I fourth voyage, was made also .-as a cargo boat. Regarding the voyage prior to that cairryiug the Fortieth Reinforcement the Army Sanitary Committee reported ] -that the transport appears to .have had- j •little sickness during tho voyage,, but on.l disembarkation two cases-of measles .were] tfound.- It is-obvious that no connec-' tion ; is'conceivable between the two deaths j in .1018 and tho ontbuak among'the For-, tielh Reinforcement. ■

"Tho vessel is now being utilised by the Imperial authorities for tho conveyance of troops. The. vessei .was .transferred to t the Imperial Government ift their request, ■ ns,shfl w;ls,deemed eminontly,suitable for .troopship work.. No-'troops were.accommodated in the ship's holds. They, we.ro accommodated in thomuin <lecks:or decks above that. The main deck is. not below water-level,:-and adequate ventilation was provided apart from tho porthole?." '.',

. AN iNQUIhY URGED \ Mr. R.M'Calhim XWnirau) said he was tredibly. informed that the ship" was 'carrying 1600 tons of cargo., Sho was (really a cargo carrier. Ho had also ixcsi- told that the two doctors on ,the - -vessel were inexperienced/ and were not I qualified. Y- " • ■ - v . ■'■ • Sir James Alien': They we're both qualified, i ' Continuing, Mr. M'Callum urged that a' tribunal should be set up to inquire into the matter, so as to set,the public mind nt rest. There was also a shortage of drugs on. the ship. The public' were considerably agitated'-.about-the.'occur-rence, : and they were entitled to know what the real state of affairs had been.' Mr. E. P. Lee (Oamaru) said lie trusted • that more would bo heard about tho .waiter in the House.. Something should lx-> done by tlie.Minister of/Defence fo ■clear the matter up. Unless'some inquiry wore made there would' be a possibility of' debate oh the subject.from which, perhaps, no good would result. The proper way to find out, the cause .*f the trouble was to hold an inquiry. Tc was not a matter which could be lightly' dismissed in the way. it had been, in the Minister's answer. ' A committee, or tribunal of,- some kind,' should be established to probe thejmattcr to the bottom.. Mr. Or. J. Anderson (Mataura) thought that a Royal Commission should be set .up to conduct an inquiry. .- Not Overcrowded. The Minister of Defence (Sir Jamas i Allen) said he was perfectly agreeable-.to the setting-up'"of-.vßoyaL Commission if it was possible .that! it would do .any ' good. .. But all the evidence had not reached New Zealand. They would have to go to the other side-of the world for • it. ' ■ -.' Members: Why not? -' Sir James Allen: "I say 'Why. not?' too." The information which he had received by cablegram from England, had been published, but he had not yet recouped the detailed report. He hoped to receive it very soon. The report would' show what.the' conditions were after tho *liip left her last-port of call before she reached Great Britain. Mr. Lee: The 1 question of ovcrcrowdf iflg can be decided here. '',■'.■ ' Sir James Alien:'.! say .unhesitatingly that the ship wa» nbt overcrowded. Mr. M'Callum: Were you tohl, of the ~ cargo? The Minister: Of course the ship carried'cargo. ' . Sir James Allen added that the ship carried less men on the voyage-in question than. she had done on a previous occasion, and the air space was.greater also. So far as his judgment it was not a question of overcrowding. Un ' fortunately, the v.essel touched at a- port of call—he was not at liberty to mention the name—about .sixteen days' sail from Great Britain. The epidemic was in prograss there, and. that was where it was >. contracted. .It had beet stated that in-

sufficient drugs had been placed on board. Ho had asked for a full inquiry on that point, as well as on Ihe questions of food supply, and all other matters connected with the Fortieth Reinforcement. He hoped to get an answer (o those questions at a very early date. He wanted to assure- the House that epidemics might, break out at any time, and it was no liso trying to attach blame wlicro blame was liot attachable. If'thcro were, people to blame ho did not want to shield them -whatever. A member: We are blaming nobody. Sir .Tames .Alien: They did not go away under conditions less favourable than on previous occasions. Mr. M'Callum: Would it not be better to have an open inquiry? Sir .Tnmes Allen: I am prepared (o have any inquiry you like, but yoii cannot havo an inquiry here unless you have tho evidence from England. I am quite willing, if tho Prime Minis'teil agrees, that ft committceof the .House, or any other committee, should hold a full inquiry. (Hear, hear.) .'