BOLTING OF DARCY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1647, 7 December 1916, Page 4

BOLTING OF DARCY.

FAMOUS BOXER’S ESCAPE. A LUCRATIVE ILLICIT TRAFFIC. The Sydney Sunday Times publishes the foliowing scathing article on the departni’e of the Australian boxer, Les Darcy, a few weeks ago: Now that it seems to be definitely established that the pugilist Les Darcy has slipped away to America, this paper anti a great crowd ot reputable citizens want to know what action the Federal Government purposes taking in the matter. Here is a young man in the heyday of his physical fitness, the most able-bodi-ed athlete in the Commonwealth, middle-weight champion of the world, as well as the heavy-weight champion of Australia, whose annual income for the last three years has not been less than £5,000. He is tit for military service, and he has .made all (his money out of the people of Australia. Australia has put (him into a position of advant-age-that few young Australian men at this crisis enjoy; he is independent for life, if need be, and in (-use ot his death his parents are abundantly well provided for. All this Australia has done for Les Darcy, What has Les Darcy done for Australia ? He has turned tail and made a bolt of it the moment when it seemed that he could no longer dodge his plain duty to the country that has fed and pampered him. In tho realm of honest trade he is, or was, a blacksmith, and blacksmiths are particularly useful in Australia at the present time. It is also understood that he has been an armourer’s labourer. He is in various ways specially fitted - for the Commonwealth’s present'need at what happens to be a time of (he Commonwealth's special peril; and things standing so, he cuts and runs.

There need be no magnifying of this man Darcy’s importance. He is not important in the least. In the scales of civilisation he counts for very little. The point is that he is a young Australian, and all he can lind to do with the large sums of money Australia has poured into his pockets is to pay some other mean fellow to help him to bolt from his natural obligations. Australia, can surely have no nse for that sort of voung Australian, and Australia at this moment is not in the least disposed to make excuses for him. Kor are we.

What is to be done? The Commonwealth Government surely cannot sit down meekly and submit to the indignity of this man’s lawlessness and breach of common faith. Is there not some way in which the Government can seize his property? Due provision can bo made for his parents, if need be; but Darcy surely should not. be permitted to enjoy in some other part of the world the money that he has got from Australians, who believed him to be an honest and patriotic and loyal citizen. If nothing is done, the position of the Government becomes at onee ludicrous and humili-

ating. Let. it be noted that Darcy’s is not an isolated case. W hat do the authorities purpose to do in regard to what has become a settled and lucrative trade—-the trade of shipping away from Australia by stealth the eligible young men who ought to he doing men’s work in the firingline. Men have left in large numbers. They are constantly leaving. The thing becomes an outrageous public scandal. There are men, both in Newcastle and Sydney, who follow this trade assiduously, and find it very profitable. The trade oi securing clandestine passages for eligihles —it is a niee sort; of thing for Australians to engage in, things standing as they are! In Newcastle one man is said to have made over £4,000 already in this way. He is a notorious shanghaier, and everybody in Newcastle knows about his traffic, and the manner of if —everybody, seemingly, but the people responsible for the carrying out of Federal law.

If the Federal Government will do nothing, is there nothing that ihe State Government can do"? The matter is a Federal cone era, but the State Government can keep a closer check on the ports, were it only for the sake of its own repute.

If n« power to deal with this scandal at present ex is,is under (he War Precautions Ac!, legisl.alion should he introduced .at once and the necessary power taken. Meantime the Commonwealth might reasonably request that the United States will refuse permission to Darcy to land. He can be barred quite easily as an undesirable immigrant. If yon can conceive an immigrant more undesirable than a. pugilist disloyal to his native land, your imagination is tine, it is highly probable that if the United States authorities are made fully cognisant of the facts, Darcy will he sent back. If t hat ran he arranged, if is to be hoped that the Commonwealth Government will have sufficient honesty and public spirit to deal with him as he deserves to be dealt with.

The position of ibis paper must be made perfectly clear.- It regards with indignation the conduct of any man who bolts from his country at the hour of its need. It regards with' unspeakable contempt any and every person who connives in any such levanting. For the man ■who stays at home and doggedly refuses to see his duly one may have

a Perth in poor respect. But for the fellow who bolts in a dreadful funk when he begins to deem it possible that his duty may be thrust on him, there ean be nothing but disgust and scorn.