STRANDED

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 95, 16 January 1919, Page 6

STRANDED

AUSTRALIANS IN DISTRESS AN INHOSPITABLE GOVERNMENT QUESTION OF, EXPENSES POSSIBILITY OF A DEADLOCK 'A new difficulty lias arisen about/ the carrying of the stranded Australians to their homes by the transport Ulimaroa, as'proposed by the New Zealand Government. AVliat this Government asked was that the Australian Government would allow these people to be landed from tho ship, by tender or by any means desired, and to allow the ship to proceed on her voyage without being delayed hi quarantine. For some days the Govern-, meut has been waiting for a reply to this request, and yesterday the reply came. It was such s a reply as to occasion some surprise. The Australian, Government agreed, to let the rnssengers be landed provided the New Zealand Government made itself responsible- for the cost of landing.them, w;d for quarantine expenses. If is understood that the cost would be some hundreds of pounds. This ' arrange ir.ent is not acceptable to the New rMnland Government, and yesterday the Actinfi-Prime Minister sent the following cablegram, "urgent," to tho Aoi-ing-Eritne 'Minister ' ot the Commonwealth:—

Yours of 14th received. ITlimaroa is Admiralty transport, \uKently required elsewhere, and it is impossible to saddle Admiralty with any expense in bringing Australian v stranded passengers • to Australia. If Australian , Government will indemnify Admiralty aiid agents against any financial loss owing to call.of Ulimaroa, ship will be allowed to call at Melbourne, as indicated in your telegram. Otherwise such course will bo impossible. Please reply to reach nv 10 o'clock to-morrow, as otlierwisi

irrangements for Ulimaroa will have to be finally cancelled. .. t is expected that the Dlimaroa will ail on Friday evening. If the ship s to carry these passengers, iirj'angenents will have to be made for them in board, and these arrangements will alie some time. The time fixed in he Minister's .letter is the latest time .hat t-a.n be allowed if theso provisions ire to to made without delaying the iailiiip; of the ship. On no account nan tjie Government risk the delaying of: this ship. Her voyage when she leaves New Zealand will'be to Bonib'iy, thore to take off British Mesopotiinian troQps before the hot season coir.o.s in that country. Delay of weeks mean fever and loss of life among the troops, and the case of the exiled soldiers who havecomo through trying times in the hottest place 'in the world cannot be prejudiced to help a much smaller number of Australians •to {,et to their homes. •' ■

If the arrangement regarding i thft Ulimaroa has to be.cancelled there will still be another chance for the stranded people to : get away on the Tofua, to sail in about a week.

The who hope to get away on the ship are greatly, concerned about the new situation, and dumbfounded at. the reply of the Australian Government. It is probable that if the reply asked for urgently by Sir James Allen is not favourable they.will make appeal to him by deputation to-rlay They held a meeting yesterday morning Mo ■discuss their plight and the measures that might be taken to obtain relief. It was explained to the meeting that a cable message had been sent to.the Sydn'ey morning papers explaining the sad fortunes of the Austnlians stranded iu .New Zealand, and requesting that . everything possible should be done in Australia to help them out of .their difficulty. Mr. Walter Jago, who was voted chairman of the meeting, said that' numbers of people here had been' forced to 1 depend on charity as a result of .their prolonged stay in this country. Others had had to raise funds by borrowing. He advised all who, were" in need \ to inform him as to the assistance they required. . Another meeting is to be held in the No. 2 Committee Boom at the, Town Hall this morning, at 10' o'clock. In the meantime, if there are yet any Australians who have not advised the Mayor that they ii3sd assistance, or wjsh to/have passages on this ship, they should inform him at once. The following cablegram has been sent by Mr. Walter Jago to Mr. R. B. Orchard, M.H.R., Sydney: "There is in "New Zealand large body people known as stranded Australians. Many are in absolute financial distress. Women and children, with no resources, are depending on charity for food. Numbers are also borrowing. There are cases of separation from wives and children in Australia, needing medical treatment, while the husbands are stranded here, shut'off from resources. Why will not 'the Federal authorities reply to the New 1 Zealand Government's cablegram with' referenco to the non-quarantimng of the transport steadier available to embark Australians? The-position is acute. Use your efforts on our belmlr.