WAR TROPHIES

Evening Star, Issue 16515, 29 August 1917, Page 8

WAR TROPHIES

A DOMINION MUSEUM. MINISTERIAL SUGGESTIONS. [From Our Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON. Avgust 29. The Hon. R. Heston Rhodes made refer, ence in the Hoi'se yesterday to the proposal to establish a National War Museum. He mentioned that while he was atGallipoli he communicated with the Minister of Defence. suggesting that officers there should, collect records and trophies, but owine to the evacuation many of the trophies that had been collected were lost. He had received a statement from the Minister of Internal Affairs on the subject, and ho would ask the Minister to make a statement to the House, as many of the Teturned soldiers? were .bringing back trophies, and he felt sure that if the Government arranged t.r> collect trophies the men would hand theirs over to the National Museum. The Hon. G. W. Russell, in reply, said that ever since the war started the Government had attempted to do everything possible to secure material in connection with the National War Museum. Efforts had been made to obtain copies of all publications issued on troopships, and a request had been made to the Minister of Defence to make a collection of war mementoes that would be of service. He had obtained a report from the director of the Dominion Museum, and had sent that report to the Minister of Deefnce and to the hon. member for Ellesmere (Mr Rhodes). When that rejx-.rt had been considered by the Minister of Defence he proposed to confer with him on .what could be done to secure a collection of suitable material. Personally he thousrht it would be worth while for the Government to consider the desrrabiltiy of placing a very sub'tantial sum of money at the disposal of the Defence Minister or tho Minister of Internal Affairs, or both, for the purpose of carrying on this work. (Hear, hear.) It ias very desirable to arrange for a museum of trophies and mementoes that had been gathered by our troops.