MILITARY PRISONERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 September 1919, Page 8

MILITARY PRISONERS.

THE MINISTER'S POLICY.

(By Wire.—Own Correspondent.) Wellington, Last Night.

Answering a question put by the member for Napier, the Minister for Defence stated that arrangements had already been made for men undergoing military sentences in the United Kingdom to be returned to New Zealand, and, except in special cases, for the remission of the unexpired portions of their sentences on their arrival in the Dominion. There was no member of the New Zealand Naval Forces at present undergoing imprisonment. The New Zaalanders serving in the navy were under the control of the Admiralty, and the New Zealand Government had no authority regarding them.

The Minister added, in reply to another question, that it was not possible to grant a general amnesty to all soldiers at present undergoing imprisonment for o(Fences committed overseas, as these, unfortunately, included a small proportion of serious criminal cases. Whenever a soldier arrived in the Dominion as a prisoner his case was carefully reviewed, and, where possible, he was given his freedom. In fact, there was at present no soldier undergoing a sentence of imprisonment in New Zealand for an offence committed on active service, but there were other cases still to come out.

So far as military defaulters and shirkers were concerned, lie could, state that while orders had been given foe the release of all those men who were classed as bcjna file religious db-' jeetors by the special board and of those who were serving a second or (bird term of imprisonment for offences under the Military Service Act, the fiovemment did not ■ at present intend to remit tile sentences of those who refused service for other reasons or to cease the prosecution of those who have so far evaded arrest.