MAIN BODY MEN.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1874, 7 September 1918, Page 3

MAIN BODY MEN.

TO BE GRANTED FURLOUGH. The news that furlough in New Zealand is to be granted to all the Main Body men who have survived the lumlsbips of four years’ war will be welcomed as some respite for the Dominion’s most deserving veterans (says the Lyttelton Times). The scheme for furlough has not been completed, but it has been practically settled, and involves giving all these men leave, regardless of the ‘‘hardship” consideration which has hitherto been the only passport to this boon. They ai’e to be divided into three types —(1) the sick and invalided; (2) the class requiring urgent business leave; and (3) the men who have had over three years’ service. Men who receive leave for urgent private purposes may come out ahead of those in the last category, and their time in New Zealand will he taken as their leave under class 3. Probably the system will mean an ■absence from France of six months. It is expected that the men will get four weeks’ leave in New Zealand on full pay, with the three weeks’ free (ravelling by rail, which is granted to all returned soldiers. Au announcement on the subject by the Minister of Defence may be expected short Iv.

It was suggested by Sir James Allen, Minister of Defence, in an interview, that friends of long-service men in the Expeditionary Force must not expect too much from the effort now being made to give them a New Zealand furlough.

“There arc difficulties fo he overcome,” said Sir James. “When this spring' campaign began there was a call for more men at the front, and we had to double our reinforcements. Then it was not thought just to bring men hack on duty furlough. That pressure was got over. Then came the possibility of sending men hack on urgent business leave. Our difficulty is the limited supply of shipping. It is absolutely essential to give first place to sick and wounded. They must he evacuated to New Zealand at the first possible opportunity, and we take every available bit of space on returning ships for this purpose. The New Zealand, hospitals in Engl .ml are so overflowing (hat many of our men have been treated in outside institutions. We are trying to bring back as many cases as possible, so as to relieve the congestion, and get all the New Zealanders in New Zealand controlled hospitals, where we <-an do more for our wounded. Requests for urgent business leave will be Forwarded to New Zealand so that the bona (ides of eases can be enquired into by Military Service Boards.”