The Dominion. FRIDAY JANUARY 24, 1919. GETTING THE SOLDIERS HOME

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 102, 24 January 1919, Page 4

The Dominion. FRIDAY JANUARY 24, 1919. GETTING THE SOLDIERS HOME

. One ,of y.esfcer4ay's messages from tpnclon indicated that the iep.atria.tjpn pf Jihie jiew troops will be completed in a. much shorter space of time than was originally anticipated. Apparently the only limiting factor henceforth will ,be tho amount of- shipping available, and it was stated on ofhcial authority a day or jfcwp ago that ajready .demands .on gjijpping transport liavj .eased off fep an appreciable exr tent. In .a .circular issued in Engr land, last ißontji Bki.gadier-Geneeai, Ejchaedson stated that it was anticipated that there would be. sufficipnt shipping- to get .the whple of the Expeditionary Force jjapk to Nie)V Zealand within njne months from the commencement of demobilisation. At. the time when the circular was issued it was assumed ithat the .demobilisation of fit men would only begin when peace had been formally concluded. From the message mentioned it appears that the process-is to begin almost at once. This, together with the improving outlook in regard to shipping, suggests that quite pos•SJWy the whole of our troops maj return home within the next nine months. The prospect raised should inspire redoubled .efforts on the part of the Government and all who have a part to play in prompts jng the restpr.ajbjpn of spjtfiers to civil life. So far as the Government and the ■military authorities abroad .are concerned much ■work and preparation have'already been carried 'put .which -will tend tp pre-mote the smooth and efficient development of the repatriation scheme, but the necessary organisation is not yefc .at all points ■ com■plete, jipr is. it ae it .stands c.alpulated in all to meet requirements, puyjrfg/the last; few days (several district p/ftcer.s pf'jhp Eep.atriation Pepartment., have' been .apppintgd, and the fapt that in Wellington this ppsition has been accepted by the president of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association (Me. Batten) is a satisfactory indication that ihe members of that body are prepared to .actively co-operate in repatriation .activities. But jn announcing that it would give whole-hearted support tp the work of fhe Repatriation Department the associatiop took .occasion to add that it lacked confidence in the Department as at present cpnstituted, and woujd make eviery endeaypfu , tp .enforce the protests recorded by returned soldiers' associations and other bodies.

In regard to one vital matter, that of' Ministerial: pontrpl,' there does not seeni|t.o be any doubt thVfc the protests of returned soldiers' associations and the organisations And '. individuals which support itheif attitude are thoroughly well grounded.. Kepatrj.ati.on in any pase is an enterprise likely to consljanfcly present new and unforeseen situations calling for prornpt decision .end bold initiative. ,Now;that the return o.f the troops seems likely/to be hastened, the need of an organisation capable in all respects of meeting these conditions is sp much the greater and more urgent. It seems quite hopeless, however, to expect prompt deejsions and; ready initiative from a board consisting of • four .Ministers who frequently are scattered abouj; in different parts of- the eountry. At present, for instance, the Hon. W. H.' IJbrries, who is chairmftn of the Repatriation Board, is in the Bay of Plenty region.' One of his colleagiwß, Mp, MAcDONAtp, is at Napier. Another -member of tlje board, Me. Q-utheje, left last night for the Sputh I.sjand. T_he ing member, Me. "Banan, is in Wellingjbpn, but it. is expected that at an early date he -wi}} .depart on a visij; of some length to'.Australia. The existing state of affairs looks less like prpvidipg for Ministerial control of the Repatriation Department than letting it go by default. Cabjnet as a whole carriep an exceedingly heavy responsibility in the matter, and will show poor regard for the interests of soldiers if it does not promptly in'stitute a more effective control. No argument is needed to establish the fact that the existing arrangement falls short of requirements. Repatriation is'essentially not an enterprise that will run itself. However well the adopted scheme may be planned in its broad features it calls at least for constant and vigilant supervision by a responsible Minister in order that the most may be made of every opportunity of forwarding its development on sound lines. '

Apart from tho outstanding question of efficient control, the Government would be wise to take the public more fully into its confidence than it has clono hitherto jn regard to the details of its plans of employment and other matters. General statements have been made, for instance, that the Public Works Department and the Railways Department are prepared to large numbers of men as soon as they_ become available, bnt more detailed information on the subject, would be welcome, not only by way of showing how far these promises arc likely to be carried out, but as one means of arousing and stimulating the widespread and practical public interest in repatriation which is very necessary if full justice is to I)" done to our homn-cominp foldicrs. Reparation is not only the business of the Government, th'oupth tho Gqye-rninent's part in it is allimportant. A very large proportion of the people of the Dominion have a more or. less direct respon-

sibility in one or another of its detail aspects, a,nd it' is not more necessary that the .organisation created in the interests of soldiers should he efficient at its head and centre tjian that it should 'be developed to all possibly and uspful lengths alike in town .and country. Local committees have a par ; t of great importance to play in the deyelopment .of the repatriation scheme, and it is a matter for deep regret that the organisation of these podies is not further advanced than it is. The Government) however, took a wise course in deciding to make the constitution of the local committees as broadly .comprehensive'as possib)e. Supervision ,of the details of repatriation in local areas is most decidedly not a matter which should be left to a few willing and capable but one in which all available assistance .and co-operation should be inyoked. The measure of success attained in developing the repatriation scheme will depend jn no small degree upon the manner in which 'the local committees carry put their duties. If they are organised as they should be jj> will fall to them not only to .extend in detail the arrangements made for placing and prpvi.ding for the homecoming soldiers, but to see to it that the r.esults achieved in this .direction are lasting. Reconstruction, a bright little journal published in .Canada l>y the department corresponding \o pur Jiepatriatiprf Department, lays strong emphasis upon the importance .'': pi "followrup" work, on behalf of ,ex-soldiers, and advances cogent arguments in> favour of systematic work bjy local committees in watching over disabled and other men as they struggle through the period pf rjeftdjiistaient to new conditions and helping tjiern by judicious sympathy and support. In this aspeel and others the work to be 4one by the local committees should appeal strpijgly to al} who have the interests .of '.our soldiers at heart.