WITH KIWIS IN JAPAN

Evening Star, Issue 26067, 3 April 1947, Page 9

WITH KIWIS IN JAPAN

MR JONES COMMENDS J-FORCE HIGH STANDARD OF EFFICIENCY (Official Njmv Zealand Correspondent With J-Force). TOKIO, March 31. Tributes to the high standard of efficiency of the Second N.Z.E.F. in Japan and appreciation of the work which the force has done to improve its living conditions were expressed by. the Minister of Defence, Mr Jones, in a letter to the commander of the J-Force, Brigadier L. Potter, at the conclusion of the Minister’s tour of the .New Zealand occupation area/ With the chief of the New Zealand Staff, (Major-general N. McD. Weir, and Brigadier Potter, Mr Jones has spent a strenuous fortnight travelling through the Yamaguchi Prefecture meeting New Zealand troops and inspecting their camps and barracks'; The Ministerial party covered several hundred miles by road and rail to visit the Chofu, Yamaguchi, and IVlizutsa areas, and to reach outlying detachments. NO COMPLAINTS ABOUT PUNISHMENTS; During his tour he had not received any complaints about the severity of punishments, said Mr Jones to-day, referring to the. published statement by the New Zealand Press Association correspondent that J-Force soldiers had complained. of unduly heavy punishment for minor offences. “ No soldier has raised the question of excessive- punishment at any of the open discussions I have had with the men in their units,” said Mr Jones. “ During the. past fortnight I have visited the whole of the New Zealand troops with the exception of the Air Force. While every opportunity has been given for soldiers to ask questions, the subject of punishment has not been raised.” The Minister also referred to this correspondent’s adverse criticism of leave facilities for J-Force soldiers in Japan. He said he had investigated the, local leave question thoroughly, and was satisfied that the Second N.Z.E.F. was making the best possible use of the leave facilities. The provision of leave centres for the whole of the British Commonwealth forces had presented great difficulties because of lack of suitable accommodation. CONCERT PARTY ARRIVES. A New Zealand concert party, headed by Mr W. Yates, of Wellington, assistant director of the New Zealand Broadcasting Service, arrived in Kure this afternoon in the Glenartney. The party consists of two men and four women, fill from Wellington. It will tour the British Commonwealth Occupation Force area in Japan, and will stay for at least three months. The tour will begin in the New Zealand area.