WAR TROPHIES

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 10274, 8 May 1919, Page 6

WAR TROPHIES

THB METHOD OF DISTRIBUTION. Many applications have been received by the -Minister for Defenco from local bodies and private individuals throughout the Dominion for war trophies, and as there is evidently some misunderstanding regarding the system of distribution, tho Defence Department has issued the following statement of tho principles governing the matter:—

Trophies captured by units must, in tho first instance, be handed over to the Imperial authorities. Each unit subsequently submits claims for all articles captured, such claims being dealt with fcjj a special committee which in duo oourse allots the trophies to tho various units.

Each regiment or territorial area in New Zealand embraces ono to five of the principal towns in the particular area. Thus Auckland city is the territorial area, of the 3rd (Auckland) Regiment and Ist Battalion of N.Z. Rifle Brigade; "Wellington city the headquarters of the sth {Wellington) Regiment and 2nd Battalion N.Z. Rifle Brigade; Christchurch city the Ist (Canterbury) Regiment and 3rd Battalion N.Z. Rifle Brigade; Dunedm city the jith (Otago) Regiment and 4th Battalion N.Z. Rifle Brigade. Similarly, provincially, the territorial regimental area of the loth (North Auckland) Regiment embraces Whangarei, Dargaville. Helensville and Kohukohu; the 7_th (Wellington and West Coast) Regiment embraces Wanganui, Marton, Palmerston North and Feilding; the 13th (Nelson and West Coast) Regiment Rangiora. Koiapoi, Hokitika, R«efton : the 10th (North Otago) Regiment Oamaru, Mosgiel, 'Cromwell, Duntroon. On the formation of Expeditionary Force- units, each battalion of infantry was composed of four companies, one company being drawn from each territorial area. Each regiment of mounted rifles was similarly constituted by squadrons drawn from mounted rifle territorial areas. It is, therefore, but natural that the personnel of each nnit in the field and their relatives in New Zealand are concerned that trophies captured by each unit should be distributed to their own_ territorial area. 3 throughout the Dominion.

The principle governing the distribution of war trophies in the Dominion is, therefore, that all trophies captured by tho troops are issued in the first place to the towns in which the headquarters of the units which captured them are situate. Headquarters of units have been instructed that trophies so issued are not to be considered tho exclusive property of the respective regimental areas, and that the claims of other towns in those areas must receive consideration. With this end In view, officers commanding; units have been instructed to confer with the .Mayors of towns in which their headquarters are situate, requesting them in turn to communicate with the Mayors* of other towns in their areas with a view to forming committees to deal with the distribution of the trophies on an equitable basis.

Thus it will bo seen that applications for war trophies should not be made to the Hon. the Minister for Defence, but to the Mayors of the towns in which the headquarters of units are situate.