CURIOUS POSITION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 3 February 1940, Page 7

CURIOUS POSITION

GERMAN SUBJECT WITH NO CHOICE. VISITOR TO NEW ZEALAND. A German subject by Nazi conquest and not by birth or design, who left Europe to get as far away as possible from the influence er Hitlerism, has arrived in New Zealand to settle and seek employment. He is Mr Peter von, Klarwill, and he has the unusual record of being a German with a German passport, who entered without question a country' at war with his own Appreciating his position, he counts himself doubly fortunate at being permitted to land. There are compensating features to Mr vo”. Klarwill's case. He was burn in Austria, but lived most of his life in Yugoslavia. He has always regarded himself as an Austrian, but in 1938. when Hitler marched into Austria, Mr von Klarwill found he became a German without alternative. He could not be compulsorily returned to Germany, but on the outbreak of war he decided to continue with plans made a year previously' to leave Europe lest Yugoslavia should be claimed by the Nazis. "I am only a German because Hitler says so, and I have no desire to fight for him,” said Mr von Klarwill in an interview. "I had much difficulty in transferring my money to England be-i fore it could be claimed by the Reich, but to leave the country myself I could obtain only a German passport. I wish I had been able to get one of any other nationality.” Mr von Klarwill left Italy in an Italian ship in November, and took 45 days to reach Sydney. En route he was the only passenger of a full complement who was not permitted ashore at Colombo or at any of the Australian ports. He is not a Jew. but a Catholic, and his German passport presented alien problems for him throughout his voyage. Finally when he was permitted ashore in Sydney he had to report twice daily to the police until he left by a British ship for New Zealand. .

With a visa for entry into New Zealand completed in 1938, Mr von Klarwill was admitted after his credentials had been investigated. It was held that he had the right to enter the Dominion, because, he had been given permission before the outbreak of war.