SOLDIERS OF EMPIRE.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 December 1920, Page 5

SOLDIERS OF EMPIRE.

CONFERENCE OF RETURNED MEN}' | TO CONFER WITH LORD HAIG. j i ■. MEETING AT CAPETOWN. ! ! Br Telegrnjm,—Piess Asawlntloii.' | Wellington, Last Night.. ■ ] T!ie New Zealand Returned Soldiers' i Association has nominated Mr. C. W. i Batten (Wellington), and Mr, W, E. ■ Leadley (Christehureh), as its repre- ] sentatives at the conference of the ex- . soldiers organisations of tho Empire to | be held in Capetown in February under : the presidency of Field-Marshal Earl Haig. The countries concerned will be Great Britain, Canada, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand, and the delegates will represent fourteen separate organisations. The objects aimed at by the gathering, will be: (1) Unification and amplification of peniiotis, land repatriation, and immigration policies; (2) the betterment of ex-soldiers' lot throughout tho Empire; (3) amalgamation of all Empire ex-soldiers organisations to the end ' that a real backbone for the League of , Nations may be formed; (4) the or- , ganisation of ways and means by which ' the Empire's ex-soldiers may best continue to serve it. The Grand Council of the League of Comrades (South Africa), and the jmblie of South Africa have decided to p»y the expenses of Earl Haig's visit to the ; the Union, also to defray the expenses > of all the other delegates for the four<> teen days during which the conference" will deliberate. The sending of two delegates from : the New Zealand Returned Soldiers' As- ; soeialidn hinges upon whether the- Government will pay their travelling and lneindeutial expenses. It has been ' pointed out to the Cabinet that the sending of these delegates would-be an excellent advertisement for the Dominion as they would be able to illustrate . the fact that New Zealand's repatriation policy has been the most successful >h the world. The Government has been requested to pay the cost from the canteen funds still availably and a favorable reply is looked for almost immediately from the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defence. If the Government agrees, and Meslrs Batten and Leadley are able to seenre the necessary leave and accept nominttion, they will depart for Capeto#n early in tho New Year.