PETITION FROM DALMATIANS . /» ' ' .

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2824, 15 July 1916, Page 11

PETITION FROM DALMATIANS

ASSURANCES. OF,LOYALTY. A'petition from 87 Dalmatian - Slavs resident in Mdngonui' County was presented to the Houso on Wednesday by Mr. W. Stewart. Tho petitioners challenge tlio->northern iiolico to point to any criiuo committed by them sinco tho outbreak of war. The petition stated that approximately 25 per cent, of tho Slav population of Mongonui had become permanent settlors.' A. statement that tliero 'wero over a thousand men of professed •Dalmatian nationality within tho Mongonui County was incorrect. There I were at the outside, no more than, from 300 to 350 males of Slav nationality in the county. Not less than '2 per cent, of tlioir number had gone to tho front, whilst many others had offered their servioes and had' been refused. Tho peti-tioners-protest against being classed as Austriajis, as they claim that they are of the direot lino of Slavs. They had obtained their nationalisation papers honourably, and they understood that thoy were in honour bound to give any assistance to the New Zealand Government, including assistance in the defence •of their adoptfkl homo.- They were'quito loyal, and they 'consider it to be a, most unfair suggestion that their licenses for digging or buying gum should he cancelled.' ..' \

The petition proceeds: "With referenco to tho suggestion that we should ■ bo moved into other channels of occupation, wo aro quito prepared to leave our present occupation and assist in any capacity 'if so requested by the Prime Minister, but we would regret, to -leave our present occupation simply because Gorman iu-' triguo is busy." They go on 'to say that when tho war broke out not one of their number offered to obey the call of tho Austrian authorities to return to Austria, and that those who were in Auckland. assembled in front of tlio Austrian. Consulate and destroyed tho Austrian flag. \ '