§ MR. SLOAN () Belfast, S.To ask the Secretary of State for War Whether he 499 will consider the advisability of arranging that soldiers and sailors on active service may be allowed a free passage to their homes once a year.
(Answered by Mr. Secretary Brodrick.) I am afraid that there is no precedent for the grant of leave to soldiers to come home during active service, and operations in the field would necessarily suffer. Further, the cost of the passages would be quite prohibitive. As regards sailors, the question should be addressed to the Secretary to the Admiralty.