PRIVATE CABLES

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 164, 14 July 1941, Page 8

PRIVATE CABLES

SOLDIERS' SAFETY

TREAT WITH RESERVE

MINISTER'S EXPLANATION

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, this day. Advice received by the Minister of Defence, the Hon. F. Jones, indicates the advisability of treating with reserve information as to their safety sent privately by members of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force to relatives in New Zealand. In some instances, after fighting in Greece there was a conflict between information sent officially to next-of-kin and that contained in private cablegrams Inquiries were made and a cablegram in reply has now been received from Army Headquarters, Cairo, as follows:—

"Private cables reporting safety were originated in Greece, but due to a breakdown in communications were not dispatched until after the operations in Greece. These were then dispatched without reference to this office, which could have supplied information regarding subsequent casualties to the personnel concerned "

Commenting on this report, Mr. Jones said to-day that, considering the conditions that prevailed in Greece and Crete and the fact that both places had to be evacuated, some idea of the difficulty of quickly compiling accurate records could be fully appreciated. He could assure next-of-kin, however, that every possible step was being taken to secure reliable information at the earliest possible moment. Until official advice came to hand from overseas, Mr. Jones added, next-of-kin would be wise in treating unofficial reports with reserve.