DEMOBILISATION

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 64, 10 December 1918, Page 6

DEMOBILISATION

THE GOVERNMENT'S ARRANGEMENTS FURTHER STATEMENT DY DEFENCE MINISTER, i The Defence Minister made a statement in the House of Representatives yesterday with reference to demobilisation. Ho liad been asked by Air. C. .). Parr (Eden) if he could give the House some additional information on the „.;bjeet. Sir James Allen said that during the armistice he hoped to evacuate the whole of the sick and wounded Now Zealand soldiers now in the United Kingdom. Tho period of the armistice would also be utilised to _ bring out married men and their v.-ives as far as possible. There would arrive in New Zealand during the present month- something like 2250 sick and wounded men, and ho expected that during January and February between CftOO and 8000 other sick and wounded men would, be arriving in the Dominion. By the end of February 8000 or Oi'oo men would be back. That probably would practically clear the hospitals in the United Kingdom. A considerable number of vessels would be available to embark troops from the United Kingdom in January*and February. Jt was impossible to say definitely when -Hie fit men, the members of (he Main Body, would begin to homewards. He presumed they vould not leave Europe until peace had been signed. The Defence Department was bringing back a few men who were considered to be essential. Applications for the release of essential men were tcferred. to Base Records for inquiry, and on a report that they were urgently required in New Zealand, arrangements '.*ern made, as far a? possible, to brins; them back. The prinoinle liid down with reference In the return of the fit men was t!i»t the first to go'were lo be Ihe fust to come back. He would adhere to thit principle as far as he could, but it nonld not be possible to lay <liyn a hard and fast rule. If the men of the Main Body began to leave England in March or April, he anticipated it would take from nine to twelve months to- get the vhole of them back to New Zealand. Instruction that, had been given with rc?;ird to demobilisation at this end was HiM; arrangements were to be made for handling 3500 men pf-r week, or Ifl.ftflO men per month, but he did not think the m°'i would arrive as rapidly as that. He honed they would. The Minister of Defence added that the whole of the routine work in eenne?tion with preparation for discharge would be undertaken aboard the transport?. Sr.eeial officers had been'sent Heme and staff* were now b»ing trained in England for the purpose. All th" Monetary pnpon would be prepared on the ehjne and the men would be ready to go <.tra.i"ht to the'* homes from the ship's s-de. They vrmhl havp their steamer-Hrk»ts. Him meal tickets, and cvervthinT e's? b'f«re they larded. No other ;.nrt' of th" F-i"-nir» had attempted so complete £'i arp r, gpmp"t. I A niMi'ber: Very creditable to the T>-lvn-tniont. Kir ,Tmne<! Allen: Jt '« v»rr p-pditahV The arrangement w'd prevent any delays at all at this end. ..^-

SYDNEY-WELLINGTON SERVICE SEAMV.V TWORHiTVn TT MAT SAFELY BE RESUMED. l?v TelOFrnp v -- T,r "-' /»"<">ci!>t.tnn. Dunedin, December 0. Mr. T. W. Young, general secretary of the New Zealand Seamen's Union, has sent the following cablegram to the Seamen's Union of Sydney: "Auckland excepted, New Zoaland ports are now clean of epidemic. It is sate to man for Wellington the Manuka and the Moeraki, but see that the living quarters are thoroughly cleaned out with strong disinfectant.".