WOMEN AND TRAVEL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 1, 23 September 1918, Page 4

WOMEN AND TRAVEL

ONLY ALLOWED TO TRAVEL IN OASES OF EXTREME NECESSITY. Referring to 'the question of women, being allowed to travel, the Hon. G. AY. Russell (Minister of Internal Af-. fairs) says:— "There lias been no alteration in the rules laid 'down by the Imperial Government in February of last year, that women were to be allowed to traverse the danger zones only in circumstances of extreme necessity'and urgency. This rule is being strictly interpreted by the New Zealand Government; and, while many painful cases have come before me," the number in which the instructions of 'the Imperial Government could be interpreted so as to allow of women being granted passports is exceedingly small. The object, of .course, is to prevent women being on board vessels in case of.dis-. aster. In such cases the true British spirit comes out, and the rule is to save the women and children first. I have no doubt that thousands of brave men belonging to the mercantile marine havo lost their lives owing to the presence of women on vessels that have met with disaster. There is no intention on the part of the Government to relax the rulo laid down until authority is'given by the Imperial Government. It has been stated that tins rule has been differently interpreted in Australia. This matter has been, taken up bv the Government both wi •!? the Imperial authorities and with the Australian Government, in order that the administration of the rules may. he uniform as between the two countries. In the meantime the embargo will he interpreted as strictly as heretofore.