CABLING ABOUT THE WOUNDED

Colonist, Volume LX, Issue 14592, 21 December 1917, Page 2

CABLING ABOUT THE WOUNDED

SUGGESTIONS TO RELATIVES OF SOLDIERS.

The Minister of Defence has received ;he following cable from,the High Comnis sioner:—" Officer in . ciiarge of Re;ords of. . New Zealand Expeditionary Forces informs me he continues to receive large number .of cable inquiries troni New Zealand Enquiry Bureau concerning casualties, etc.,- already reportad by him to Director of Base Records, Wellington, thus involving- much unnecessary work and cabling both ways, which can be avoided if New Zealand Enquiry Bureau refers to Director of Jia.se Records, Wellington, before cabling.—-(Signed) Mackenzie." Mow that so much /detailed information is received by cable with reference to our sick and wounded soldiers, who are classified as dangerously or seriously ill, the -inquiries made by the public through the New Zealand Enquiry Bu-7-eau seldom result in any additional information being received. AY hen wounded, soldiers' free cable messages were instituted this method was the. only one available to ascertain the location, condition, and nature of wounds of any.soldier unless a special paid cable was despatched, and the information thus received was of the greatest value to The public. These wounded soldiers' messages have necessarily to be frequently delayed whilst the cables are busy with urgent jmessages, amongst which are the admissions to hospitals and fortnightly progress reports of our soldiers received by the Defence Department. This results, as is shown in the High Commissioner's message, in enquiries being despatched from here and replies sent back without any good results, as. the information has generally already been

despatched. The public are recommended to remember that generally the sending of these messages impedes rather than assists the obtaining of information, as the cable companies have so many messages to transmit. that there is often many days' delay in getting a cable ,:from London to -New Zealand, and ! every unnecessary message despatched \ helps to delay prompt delivery of in- , formation from London.