MEN Of THE MAIN BODY

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 77, 24 December 1917, Page 4

MEN Of THE MAIN BODY

THE QUESTION OF FURLOUGH. A correspondent of The Dominion, in a letter published on Saturday,' protested against the abandonment of thopioposal to bring the' Main Body men now in tho New Zealand Forces back to the Dominion on furlough, an I asked the Government to reconsider its decision on this point. Ho urged that tho men who had been through nioro than threo years of war were entitled t) a rest, and that New Zealand had plenty of other men to take theii places. Tho Prime Minister, referring to tho furlough question, told a Dominion reporter that the position did i.ot appoar to bo understood clearly. "At ona time the New Zealand Government hoped to have had here at this Christmas time mariy of those New Zealand soldiers who have done so muoh in the cause of the British Empire, yoth in Gallipoli and in France, and >vho iiavo brought honour and glory to the name of New Zealand," he said. "But it was not to be. Tho New Zealand Government, on the urgent representations of the Imperial Government, was forced to abandon the ijrrangements made for bringing on leave la New Zealand the membprs of our original Main Body. The Government had no course in honour but to accept the request of the Homo Government. _ _ "The circumstances of the position were disclosed fully at tho lime to the members of the House of Representatives, who carried the fallowing resolution Members of tho New Zealand House of Representatives at this conference assembled, with all the information which has been supplied to them, unanimously but most regretfully agree that the proposals for giving furlough to tho Main Body so that the.v might, be able to visit their homes in New Zealand cannot under existing circumstances be given effect to. "It ■is understood that ono of tho principal objections to 'the jroposal, from the point of view of the Imperial authorities, was the difficulty if providing transport and escort for the men at a time when every available ship was required for the urgent services of the. Emnire. Jf New Zealand's Main-Body men had leceiv' fm lough, a similar concession could not have been refused to Canadians. Australians, and Smith Africans, and tho scheme would have involved the transport of very many thousands of men over and above the normal requirements of tho ivar. An important question of efficiency was aiso involved. Tho Main Body men iaclude many of the host and most experienced members of the New Zealand Division, with a large proportion of oflicers."