PASSPORTS REFUSED

Chronicle (Levin), 29 March 1946, Page 5

PASSPORTS REFUSED

(Special Australian Correspond'ent.)

Wimbiedon - . MINISTER'S ACTIQNS LACK CONSISTENCY

Reeeived Thilrsday, 7.45 p.m. SYDNEY, March 28. The rpfusal pf fhs Minister pf Informatipn (Mr. Calwell) to issue passpprts which wpuld permit a gmali team of Australiar^ leading tennis players to attend the championships at Wimbiedon has again directed the attention of the people ' of the Commonwealth tp the ar bitrary nature of the authority re- j sponsihle for granting or fefusing Aus- j traliaus permi^ion to leave tlieir own 1 poiintry. I The players affected would probahly have heen Bails, Bromwich, Quist and Brown, whom tennis authorities here consider would henefit from first-ciass j internatiqnal cpmpetition hefore facing ' ; the responsibility of "defending the! pavis Cup against all-comers. There does not appear to he any con- 1 sistency in the dec.-Sion of the Immi- j gration Department to refuse passports to these piayers while permitting John Harpur and von Nicia to travel to Eng- : land hy sea to coiiipete in the tennis and golf championships respectively. The rsason given hy the department I was transport difficulties, particularly due to the demand for accommodation for the wives of Australian Seryieemeu. Many Austral- ; ians are wondenng why this debars orlicial Australian repres-antatives while releasing Harpur and von Nida, neither of v/horn had any trouhle over the passport question. Passport trouhle is no new tliing in Australia. I'or months now individaals and representatives Gf charitable organisations have not heen able to count 011 receiving authority to leave the country, despite the most vaiid reasons. Doctors and nurses were heid uy late in 1945 when wishing to proceed to C'iiina for serviee with Unrra. Trained woiuen of the Guides' organisation, , whose mission was to assist xted Cross v/pi\ier's and rehahiiitation organisations in IVlalaya, were delay ed until I ±*ress reports brought the matter to tne ! notice of the public. THE MANILA CASE

i The cass of the girls' who were whiSived 011 to Manaia by Umtod States plane simply "pecause American headquaiters, v/ne j.e tney wcraed as typisrs, nad been transierred cuere, is ; perhaps best known. Ino girls negieoted to apply for passpoics oecause tney ( tiioughc me Drntea aoates adtnorn:ie.s had attendsd to those details. Aiter zapy had ueen peieiuptormy rpcaiied, ; Mr. Calwell refused to consider their 1 applications. Subsequentiy he peraiitted other girls to or/cam passpprts lor Maniia, but insistsd on bam.lng the original 12. It was during this incident that the Minister tuux the unnsual step of declaring "black'' a large section of the Australian Press — a oan winch still exists. In none of these cases had transport anything to do with the immigration Department 's decision. The doctors, nurses and Guides had already oooKed their passages and the girls were already in Maniia when Mr. Calwsli became aware of the posicion. The cases of tlie exit permits oemg granted illustrafce tne lack of consistency. The relief ship Katoomba, which' made a special trip to New Zealand, takmg stranded N ew Zealanders to their own country," also carried a theatrical company on tour and a num- j I oer of refugees. ! The Australian cricket team now! j touring New Zealand cornes in a differ-! I ent category, as it was flown over hy , the R.N.Z.A.F. The English League I team which will visit Australia, will ! travel in the crew accommodation of an I aircraft carrier. ; It is understood that Mr. Calwell "s ■ decision concarning the tennis players applied to a sea voyag-e only, but this 1 does ndt aiter the fact that Harpur and von Nida travelied to England by sea only a few weeks ago. The president oi the New Soufch Wales Lawn Tennis Association (Mr. Brian Fmier) deelared Mr, Calweii's action to be wholly unjustilied. He deelared that the Minister had no right to refuse a passport to any Australian who desired to visit any part of the , Empire. Tne Minister 's decision has evoked other outoursts among 'tennis enthusi- . asts in other States.