THOUSANDS READY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 3, Issue 7, 2 September 1940, Page 2

THOUSANDS READY

CHILDREN FOR ABROAD Over 10,000 parents have applied to New Zealand House for their children to go to the Dominion under the overseas evacuation scheme. Although, owing to shipping difficulties, the plan is partly in abeyance, the medical examination of these childlren and the perusal of school reports is continuing. So far, more than 1000 have been approved as suitable, both mentally and physically, to go to the Dominion, As New Zealand has offered to take 2500 children,, the quota is nearly half-filled. In addition to this offer, 100 names have been sent to New Zealand House by people in the Dominion willing to take a childi. Pending a clarification of the shipping position, applications will not be considered past a given number at the present time. This scheme of sending children from Britain to the Dominions and the United States has been the subject of much discussion and comment. It met with a far greater popular response than was ever imagined. Unfortunately, a suspicion Avas created' in some quarters that there was favouritism of the children of rich people. The Government's decision to "postpone the operation of the scheme until the situation at sea enables them to provide naval escort" coincides with the arrival in America of some of the children of well-to-do people, including the son of Mr Duff Cooper, Minister of Information. An attack Avas made on Mr Cooper in the House of Commons by a Socialist and the Minister Avas defended by Mr Geoffrey Shakespeare, Dominions Under-Sec-retary. He said that members of all parties in the House had sought to send their children abroad, but only Avhen the Government scheme AA'as open for AA'orking-class children to have the same opportunity. The Prime Minister, Mr Winstonc Churchill, gave the House an assurance that the rich would have no ad\ 7 antage over the poor Avhen the scheme actually began. "I must confess/" he said!, "that the full bearings! of this question were not appreciated by the Government when it Avas first raised. It Avas not foreseen that the mild countenance given to the plan Avould lead to a movement of such dimensions."