H.—33

4

Recruiting Posters and Appeals. A complete set of all recruiting posters and appeals issued by the Parliamentary Recruiting Committee has been forwarded to the Government from time to time, and a number of visitors from the Dominion have sought the assistance of this branch in obtaining for them, recruiting literature to take back to New Zealand. A few requests have also been received from institutions in this country for New Zealand recruiting literature. Training of Partially-disabled Sailors and Soldiers and the Settlement on ex-Service Men.on the Land after the War. Close attention is being paid to these subjects, and reports are continually being sent to the . New Zealand Government for the use of the Discharged Soldiers' Information Department as to the measures taken by the various allied Governments. Committees have been set up in this country to deal with these questions. Visits to the Front. Before the New Zealand Forces were transferred to France this branch dealt with applications from New Zealand wounded officers in this country who were desirous of visiting the western front. In a good many cases permission was granted by the War Office, and the information gained by the officers during their visits was no doubt of great service to them after they returned to duty. Applications for permits to visit the front have now to be made through the New Zealand Military Headquarters, 8 Southampton Row, W.C. Missing Friends. Information is continually being sought by persons in this country as to welfare and whereabouts of their relations in the Dominion. This entails considerable correspondence. Inventions. Inquiries are continually being received from New Zealand soldiers and visitors from the Dominion who desire to submit to the responsible authorities inventions which they claim would be of service in connection with the war. In each case the inventors have been assisted with introductions to the Comptroller of Munitions Inventions of the Ministry of Munitions, or the Admiralty Board of Invention and Research, who in due course furnish to this Department a report as to whether or not the authorities can make use of the inventions so submitted. Appointments. The High Commissioner's Office is frequently called upon to deal with the appointment of officers of importance for the Dominion, and during the past year this branch has dealt with the following :— * Defence Department. —Director of Medical Services in New Zealand—Surgeon-General R. S. F. Henderson ; Assistant Director of Infantry—Captain Sir Robert Walker, Bt. ; Assistant Director of Military Training- Major James L. Sleeman ; General Staff Officer in a district Captain H. A. Cooper ; Assistant Musketry and Machine-gun Instructor- Captain R. Neave ; Warrant Officer to Surgeon-General Henderson —Sergeant-major G. A. Gibbs, R.A.M.C. Railway Department. —Assistant to the Signal Engineer of the New Zealand Government Rail-ways-Guy Wilfred Wyles, Esq. University of Otago. —Professor of Clinical Pathology —Dr. A. Murray Drennan, M.8., Ch.B., F.R.C.P. These appointments require the most careful consideration and involve a very large amount of correspondence, personal interviews, and consultation with experts. New Zealand Parliamentary Delegates. The undermentioned members of the New Zealand Legislature, who came to London at the invitation of the Empire Parliamentary Association, arrived here on the 30th June last: The Hon. Sir James Carroll, K.C.M.G., M.P. ; the. Hon. W. C. F. Carncross.M.L.C. ; Mr. C. J. Parr, C.M.G., M.P. ; Mr. E. P. Lee, M.P. Various arrangements were made so as to make the stay of the delegates in this country as interesting as possible. These arrangements included a visit to the New Zealand, troops at the front, to the New Zealand training and convalescent camps in this country, and visits to the New Zealand hospitals. Personal clerical assistance was also rendered from time to time to the delegates by members of this branch. Memorial to Fallen Soldiers and Sailors, Maori Wars. Considerable correspondence has taken place regarding the completion of the above statue, which is being executed by Mr. T. Eyre Macklin for the Victoria League of Auckland, New Zealand. Mr. Macklin has been greatly hampered in his work by the war and by his residence in Paris, but the completion of the erection of the statue has no doubt been effected this year. Flag Days. This branch has gone to a considerable amount of trouble to assist New Zealand ladies who desired to use'these offices as a depot in connection with flag days organized to assist various war charities. New-Zealanders and others continually seek the advice of the Department on a large number of subjects, and a great many expressions of thanks and appreciation for the information and