WELCOMES TO RETURNING SOLDIERS.

North Otago Times, 20 July 1917, Page 4

WELCOMES TO RETURNING SOLDIERS.

A correspondent signing himseif "Country" writes to us this morning to ventilate- an alleged gricvhe has against the citizens of Oainaru who it is suggested arc failing in their duty in the matter ol\welcoming men belonging to North Otago who return from active service. Our correspondent says "Rumour has it—in the country—that," op a certain occasion, "no one was on the station to welcome the returned men." Our correspondent should remember that "Rumour" is always a dangerous and not infrequently a wholly unreliable informant on matters generally. With reference to the complaint of his letter, the writer is probably unaware .of the circumstances- under which men arc returning from the front at the present time. The position is much the same as in the case of men going away, though, of course, in the reverse order. When the men leave.North Otago for the training camps they are accorded by the citizens of Oainaru, on behalf of North Otapo, a send-oft' which is wholly in keeping with the occasion and such as is possible only because of the fact that the men are in one body and are under the control of military officers. When they receive their final farewells, on the occasion of their final leave thoy arc not in a body and are not under the immediate control of officers and the send-off is entirely in the hands of the relative::! and friends 'of the soldiers. So when the men come back, as they have been doing up to the present, they come as individual soldiers, not in a .body and nol "Midi? tlie control of officers. Their 'friends are always at the 'station to meet them and I lie invariable desire, for which of course regard must be shown, is that ihey may meet'without delay and reach (heir homes as soon as possible. Anything in the nature ;of public demonstration on such occasions and under such circum- | stances is regarded as out of the question and would indeed be an ' intrusion' into the realm of family i rights. Doubtless when general demobilisation takes place, and the men return in large numbers and under the control of officers, some such demonstration as appears to be in the mind of our correspondent will be possible and I will doubtless be arranged. In [such a case it may very well be 1 taken for granted that", the men jWho have returned previous to such occasion will not be left out j of the reception that will then be accorded to returned soldiers. In tairness to • his Worship the (Mayor it should be stated that each time lie is advised by the Defence Department of the'expected arrival .Of men at Oamaru he makes it a point of being oii the station to meet train by which the'men are to arrive and of extending, on behalf of the citizens of Oamaru and North Otago a' personal welcpine to each man; If three four men arrive , at the. same time it is not always possible to get into touch with each one, and as we have already' pointed out the eagerness of both men and. their relatives to greet each other and to reach once again the home fire-side and rejoin the family circle, have sometimes resulted in some men being missed altogether at the station. In such cases, of course,'it is manifestly unjust, for "Rumour" ,to charge'the citizens of Oainaru with failing to do the proper thing in respect to' men returning, from, the front. Furthermore, on sonic l occasions men have actually arrived in Oamaru without any intimation oftfheir coming having been received by the local authorities, so that in sucli cases neither'the Defence Office, his Worship the .Mayor, nor the Patriotic. Committee, could bcMicld responsible for the omission of any official welcome!' 'ln other cases word has been received local-; ly of; the expected; arrival of men after the actual tiinc of;tiieir Jir» rival in Oamaru.;;So that taking all' the 'circumstances into' eoiisid-

eration lli'ere does not appear to be the ground for complaint hi this connection that otir correspondent's letter appeal to suggest. Regarding the statement'alleged to be made at send-oft' socials that "hearty as this social is, it i'« "nothing to the welcome-home "social you will get later ,on," our correspondent should bear in mind that no official send-ofl''socials' are' given to men going away, and if such assurances are'given to men by,those who tender them farewells prior to their departure for the front it must of course rest with those who gave the assurances, to see that they are redeemed when the men to whom they were given return-from active service. ,