“WILD MR. HUGHES”

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 319, 2 April 1928, Page 9

“WILD MR. HUGHES”

“SILLY REMARKS” ABOUT ITALIANS

ROME JOURNAL’S ATTACK By Cable.—Press Association. — Copyright. ROME, Saturday. The speech made by Mr. W. M. Hughes in Sydney on Thursday, in which he condemned the admission to Australia of large numbers of Italians, is considered in official and semi-official circles in Rome to be unworthy of comment. With the exception of the “Tribuna” the newspapers confine themselves to a report of the speech. The “Tribuna” asks: “Is it really necessary to answer the silly remarks of wild Mr. Hughes —to set forth, for instance, that Italians still belong to the white race? Mr. Hughes might be informed that Italians, whether Mr. Hughes permits them or not, will continue to have children and to send them to all parts of the world. “Should we try to convince Mr. Hughes that it is no fault of Italians if the ‘superior and genuine’ white races, of which he is supposed to be the legitimate champion, believe they have monopolised the world.” The paper alludes to the report that Mr. Hughes has retracted. It says: “Thank God that Mr. Hughes has calmed down and has been good enough to admit that Italians really are members of the white race. We are deeply moved and thank him profusely.”—A. and N.Z.

“POSES AS STRONG MAN”

ITALIAN CONSUL’S RETORT FASCISTS AND MIGRATION Commendatore M. Blunno, Italian Consul in Wellington, sends The Sun the following official statement: Sir, — Th© speech delivered by Mr. William Morris Hughes, P.C., of Australia, before th© Nationalist Association in Sydney has caused a small flutter in that country and your cabled summary of it is quite sufficient for me to know the whole. I have lived many years in Australia and know therefore Mr. Hughes’s political stunts. He likes to pose as . a strong man, a man who could lead a country and match it against the mightiest—ltaly, the United States of America, the Republic of the Soviets, each in a different way. What a hit he would make if his Quixotic address were to elicit a retort from any of th© countries mentioned. I am only concerned with what he said of my countrymen and of our leader in connection with Italian emigration to Australia. Mr. Hughes knows very well that Signor Mussolini has reversed the old Italian policy of, practically, a free expatriation of Italians, and that, after abolishing Italy’s Emigration Commissary, he enforced most restrictive regulations in matter of expatriation. The first restrictions were applied on and from August 1 last, and since then they have been further narrowed; at present they are such as to mean that Italians can no longer emigrate. The measures apply generally to emigration to any part of the world and are part of the Fascista national policy. I have here a message from the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, dated November 5, last with instructions to deliver it, when I deemed opportune. Mr. Hughes’s Quixotic onslaught against windmills affords me that opportunity and I now deliver the message, which runs thus: “The Government of Italy does not wish the emigration of Italians. It consents to their expatriation only when it is an obvious necessity of bringing together members of the same family, or when the evident personal interest of an Italian subject may be served as in the case of remunerative work assured through a regular agreement with a reputable firm of employers. Even in such cases though, the Fascista Government will not allow the expatriation of Italians, unless it is to a country that desires them and shows them respect and consideration.” There is a law in Australia, which prohibits even a British subject from Great Britain to enter Australia under contract, therefore the probability of my countrymen going to Australia under contract must be discarded so the only possible Italian emigrants are those who have very close relatives living there and who can produce to the authority in Italy a “nomination” paper by such relatives duly endorsed by the Italian Consul. With the view to defeat the dodge of dummy “nominees,” applicants must produce to the Consul the official documents proving the degree of relationship. I have already stated that these measures have a general application with regard to all countries, therefore they apply also to New Zealand, and in order that the information may reach all my countrymen in this country, I shall enumerate the degrees of relationship, which only may be taken into consideration according to the latest instructions, which I have just received: Husband, parents, son, the brother of an unmarried or widowed sister, grandchildren. The “nomination” of a fiancee is not admitted. Mr. Hughes certainly knew all this. The reason therefore for choosing Italian immigration as one of the subjects for his electioneering address to the Sydney Nationalist Association was a stalking horse for a tilt at Signor Mussolini and that is truly laughable. M. BLUNNO. Consul of Italy.