DEMOBILISATION

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 48, 21 November 1918, Page 4

DEMOBILISATION

PIUSES OF TEE SCHEME. Tlio recently-appointed Board of Repatriation, which consist. 1 ; of the Minister of Defence, the Minister of Lands, the Minister of Agriculture, and the Minister of Education, has held a proliminary meeting. The first duty of the board is the appointment of a Director of Hepatization, but tlio selection of this officer is boiiiK delayed by the influenza epidemic, which has been occupying most of the attention of the Defence staffThe Minister of Defence stated yesterday that- the demobilisation o,f the men "now in camp was proceeding at an increasing rate. The medical officers were able to give clean bills of health to large bodies of the troops, and there would be no unnecessary delay in sending these men to their homes. The provision of transport under present; conditions was one of the difficulties to be faced. In the meantime, added the Minister, the officers who had already been working under his direction were giving some attention to tlio details of the demobilisation and repatriation schemes. .An immediate trtsk was the co-ordination of the plans made here and in the United Kingdom, where General Richardson had arranged for the education and training of the men during the periods when they were' not on active service. The value of this training was undeniable, and the demobilisation scheme would provide for its- continuance, as far as possible, up to the date of discharge. Some of the men. added the Minister, might remain mobilised ftw a year yet, owing to the transport difficulty and the necessity for gradual repatriation, and it was not intended that this time should be wasted. There would be much • work to he done of a military character, but time would remain for training that would be invaluable to the men in i civilian life.