EVENTS ON AUSTRALIAN TROOPSHIP.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16428, 23 January 1919, Page 7

EVENTS ON AUSTRALIAN TROOPSHIP.

SENSATIONAL CHARGES. (?KOH OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) SYDNEY, January 14. Th« big P. and O. liner Sardinia recently arrived in Australia with 1100 invaliuo and soldiors on furlough aboard. "When, the vessel reached Melbourne most of the New South Welshmen left tho shin and came overland by train. They said that conditions on the ship were so bad that they refused to travel in her, and they gave details which caused something of a sensation. The men, in refusing to continue on the vessel, were defying authority and Placing themselves in an ugly position ; lit all had seen honourable war service, and publio sympathy was behind them—so all that happened was the opening of an official enquiry into tlie voyage of the Sardinia. The enquiry has resolved itself into . a contest between officers and tnen — the one alleging that conditions were 1 unnecessarily bad, and the other arguing that they could be no bettor, in the circumstances. The trouble seems to be. that while tho mass of soldiers were indifferently fed, tho officers had the best of everything. Discipline aboard the 6hip was anything but good, which sadly aggravated the whole unsatisfactory position. There was something approaching a riot off the South African const and in Durban. Tho mon were forced to sleep in a hot, stuffy and limited «pnce, and they demanded that they bo allowed to sleep on the unoccupied boat deck, which was considered saored to the officers. This they were allowed to do to some extent, but when they asked that they nlfvo exorcise on this deck, away from their much overcrowded quarters, they were curtly refused. Some of the men insisted on remaining on the boat-deck, and they were driven off by officers at the point of the revolver. The men promptly held a mooting, and decided to throw the officers overboard—and it was only with the greatest difficulty that the' cooler heads among thom secured order. In Durban, the men were refused shore • leave. Forty defied authority and went ashore. They t-amo back, told what a "good time" they had had, and were not punished. Thereupon 200 broke ship. The remainder became vory restless. Next day, general shore leave was granted, and nothing was done to those ■who first broko ship. The soldiers were not supposed to have liquor. _ Tho officers baa as much as they desired. Therefore, bv mysterious submarine methods, the soldiers got large quantities of alcohol, and no one seemed ablo to stop the traffic. Tho men bought food for themselves from the saloon, although there were many rules against it. Finally, there are many scandalous stories about the officers and a number of nurses who wore aboard. Gambling went on continuously among both men and officers. Shore was a two-up school just outside sue Commanding Officer' 6 door, in which £ome officers, the padre, a nurse or two, and the stewardesses took a hand occasionally. Altogether, the details mako a brow of a very nasty flavour, and a Court of Enquiry is trying to get the truth of the whole matter. I