"I'M SO THRILLED"

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 117, 3 June 1937, Page 7

"I'M SO THRILLED"

— Press AaeociatioB 1

Mrs. Freer's Coiwnent

CBy Tele«raph

WELLINGTON, Last Night. Official adviee was received to-day by her solicitor, Mr. M. O. Barnett, that th® Commonwealth Government had decided to lift the ban on the entry of Mrs. M. M. Freer into Australia. On arriving in Australia from India last November Mrs. Freer was refused admittance, ihe reason being that she had failed io pass the dictatioa test. Sho landod in Auckland jsoon afterwards and after a. short etay left Wellington for Sydney early in December in an endeavour again to enter the Commonwealth. She was tnrned back a second time and has remained in Wellington, excepi for a short experience as assistant in a Wanganui shop. Mr. Barnett took up her case with th® Australian -Government in March. Mrs. Freer, who has lately been employed with the stenographers in Mr. Barnett 's office, was present when the adviee was received this afternoon. "I'm so thrilled. I cant believe it's :true," »id Mrs, Freer. "I want Mr. Barnett to have full credit for this trinmph. He was so persistent. He believed in the justice of my case and it is marvellous what he has done." Asked what she intended to do in the immediafe futnre, Mrs. Freer replied: "I have no plans at all. I'm too excited to thihk. Of course I am going to Australia. I intend to live with my taunt in Sydney for a while. After that ll don't know what I'll do. In any (event I won't leave for Australia for j'two or three weeks." Mrs. Freer said her attitude toward iLieutenant Dewar was just the same. IShe added that she bore no malice against Mr. Paterson (Minister of Internal Affairs) or anyone. She wanted now to forgive and forget. It was a great reljef and & weight off her mind that Jhe implications against her char.acter were disproved by the decision of 'the Commonwealth Cabinet. Since her arrival in New Zealand, ;Mrs. Freer continued, she had been relceived with waxm hospitality by many ; people. If it had not been for the . kindness of friends who had shown isympathy toward her she would not jhave been able to keep on with her j fight to clear her name. Mr. Barnett said that on taking up Mrs. Freer's case his lnvestigations led him to the conclusion that there was no justification for the ban either constitutionally or through allegations concerning her character. His first appeal wai made early iu March. It was turn•d down by the Federal Cabinet which, adviaed after two months ' deliberations that.it was not prepared to "Yevicw its decision further. He decided to make an appeal to Mr. Paterson, Minister of , the Interior, who replied that the ques-; tion of the removal of the ban would [receive further consideration. Subse- , quently he eabled the Minister and received confidential adviee which led hioi to believe that there was still hope ifor a favourable decision. During the iSix months in which he had been handling the case he found Mrs. Freer patient and courageous. He had seen .nothing which would justify her being iprohibited in any British country. Ha added that Mrs. Freer was married at 19 in India and was the mother of children. Her hiisband left her in 1921 and she xeturned to England with her children, living there with her hu$band's people until she returned to India to obtain a divorce in 1930. "While awaiting the divorce she met Lieutenant Dewar, who was a passenger In the same vessel to Australia in Oelober,