AUCKLAND WOMEN'S PETITION

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 133, 22 February 1918, Page 2

AUCKLAND WOMEN'S PETITION

TO THE-GOVERNOR-GENERAL. Two representatives from the Band of B.P. AVomen. passed through Wellington to Christchureh -to present to His Excellency the Governor-General the following petition, which was graciously received: —"May it please Your Excellency.: • We, tho kinder signed women of Auckland, do humbly pray Your Excellency to remove from among your advisers those of German or Austrian blood; and we also humbly request that your advisers themselves do forthwith remove.officials of the same nationalities, from the highest to tho lowest, from Government' offices." Tho present position of these irieii must, we feel, hearten our enemies, and lias probably contributed to the late scandal of the escape of dangerous German prisoners from Motuihi. Our patriotic-sons and husbands are laying down their lives' on the battlefield, or being' returned to us—their dear ones—wrecks of humanity. We are enduring this, and wo pray that we may be able to continue to endure it; but with all due deference to Your Excellency wo cannot say how much longer wa shall be able to'endure to see, at the same time, men of enemy Wood sitting at the highest councils and actually adjudicating on matters relating to the welfare of this country and to that of our dear mainied ones—assurances of their loyaltv notwithstanding. "We humbly claim, sir, that this country, fighting for its existence in this Carman-made war, will be better served by men of British blood'than bv men of German blood. AVhat a tragedy, sir, that British mothers of British' soldiers fighting and dying for the Empire should he compelled to petition the King's representative in order to have men of German and Austrian blood removed from positions of trust in the middle of a bloody war with Germany—a war which has been waged for three and a half years and is Btill being -waged I "In view of the foregoing we, the women of Auckland, again humbly petition Your Excellency tbat this state of things ho ended, and your petitioners will ever humbly pray," eto.