SOLDIERS' GRAVES

Otago Witness, Issue 3467, 24 August 1920, Page 44

SOLDIERS' GRAVES

WORK OF THE COMMISSION

iFrom Our Own Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, August 19. Some information about war graves was given the members of the House of Representatives yesterday by the Minister of Defence (Sir Heaton Rhodes), in reply to a question put by Mr (i. Mitchell (Welling-ton-South). The Minister read extracts from some communications received through the High Commissioner from the War Graves Commission, which has been made responsible for the care of the graves of tho Empire's soldiers. The War Graves Commission is now engaged in the formation of cemeteries in the war areas, and the transfer of the bodies of soldiers Luried in isolated spots. The number of reinterments in France and Belgium at the time the last report was made had been 128,575. The commission is dealing with some 78S cemeteries, containing 555,379 graves. The number of New Zealand graves under tho control of the commission is 11.393, being 2.05 per cent, of the total. New Zealand's share of the expenditure is calculated on this percentage, and will amount to over £57,000. Tho commission proposes to establish 33 cemeteries, containing 10,000 graves, on Gallipoli; 10 cemeteries, with 8474 graves, in Egypt; and five cemeteries, with 9500 graves, in Palestine. All the New Zealand graves in Palestine have been dealt with except those of men who died just prior to tho armistice.