ARAWA FROM BRITAIN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 November 1938, Page 6

ARAWA FROM BRITAIN

PASSEGNERS WHO LEFT IN TIME OF CRISIS RATHER DIVIDED OPINIONS (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. The Arawa arrived from Southampton today via Panama. She is a full ship, carrying nearly three hundred passengers. One factor contributing to this was the war scare of September. The Arawa sailed on the day after the Four Power agreement was reached at Munich and among the passengers were, it is estimated, more than a hundred persons bent on getting out from Britain with the utmost expedition.

A reporter who boarded the ship found opinions divided on a number of aspects of the crisis, whether, for instance, Mr Chamberlain had done the right thing and also whether, had war broken out, Britain would have been adequately prepared. On one point, however, there appeared to be complete unanimity—that is that a showdown is inevitable, and that it has been merely stalled off. Most of the New Zealanders among the passengers spoke warmly of Mr Chamberlain’s action 'in making the trips to Europe in the interests of peace, referring to what he had done as an inspiration. •/n unusually large number of the passengers are booked for Australia affording further evidence of the desire of many people, towards the end of September, to leave for southern latitudes. There was no waiting for a ship via Suez.