EVENTS ON AUSTRALIAN TROOPSHIP.

Hokitika Guardian, 27 January 1919, Page 4

EVENTS ON AUSTRALIAN TROOPSHIP.

SION'S ATJON AL CH A RUES. SYDNEY, Jan. 11. The big P. and (). liner Sardinia recently arrived in Australia with 1.100 invalids and soldiers on furlough aboard. AA'hon the vessel reached Melbourne most of the New South A\ elshineu left the ship and name overland in the train. They said that conditions

on the ship were so had that they refused t<> travel in her, and they gave details which caused something ol a sensation. The men, in refusing to continue on the vessel, were defying authority and placing themselves m nil ugly position ; hut all had seen honourable war service, and public sympathy was behind them—-so all that- happened was tlie opening of an official enquiry into the vo.vnge of the Sardinia. The enquiry has resolved itself into a contest between officers and men—the one alleging that conditions were unnecessarily had, and the other’ arguments that they could he no better, ill the circumstances. The trouble seems to he that while the mass of soldiers were indifferently fed, the officers had tho best of everything. Discipline aboard the ship was anything hut- good, which sadly aggravated the whole unsat isfactoi v posit ion.

There was something approaching a riot off the South African coast and in Durban. Tho men were forced to sleep in a hot, stuffy a til limited space, and they demanded that they bo allowed to sleep on the unoccupied boat deck, which was considered sacred to the officers. This they were allowed to to some extent, hut when they acre ask ed that they also exercise on his deck, away from their much overcrowded quarters, they were curtly refused. Some of the men insisted oil remaining oil the. boat-deck, and they were driven oil' by officers at- the point of the revolver. The men promptly held a meeting and decided to throw the officers overhoard—and it was only with the greatest difficulty that the cooler heads among them secured order. In Durban, the limn were refused shore leave. Forty defied authority and went ashore. They came hack, told what a

| not punished. Thereupon 200 broke I ship. The remainder became very rest I less. Next day, general shore leave j was granted, and nothing was done to j those who first broke ship. The soldiers were not supposed to i have liquor. The officers had as much 'as they desired. Therefore, by mysterious submarinine methods, the soldiers got large quantities of alcohol, and no one seemed able to stop the traffic. The men bought food for themselves from the saloon, although there were many rules against it. Finally,' there are many scandalous stories about the officers and a number of nurses who were aboard. Gambling went on continuously among both men and officers. There was a two-up school just wilt-side the Commanding Officer’s door, in which some officers, the padre, a nurse or two, and the stewardess took a hand occassionallv. j Altogether, the details make a brew of a very nasty flavour, and a Court «f Enquiry is trying to get the truth of the whole matter.