FATHER JERGER.

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 142, 15 June 1920, Page 6

FATHER JERGER.

PROTEST.AGAINST DEPORTING. DISTURBANCE IN SYDNEY. RY'DXEY, May .11. Singling the Xatyonaji and J methodically counting out the speakers j on the lorry, an organised body, incliid-,' inu; many returned soldiers, drove aj c wedge jnto the crowd at one of the meetj v ings held in Moore Park yesterday after-p noon to protest against the (Importation,* of the German prie.-t. Father Charles ' ■Terger. In a few moments the official • speakers wore oIT the lorry, and their •places taken by young men, mo.-t of whom were wearing the badges of re- 1 turned soldiers. This particular meet- ■ ing was effectively broken up, and no - effort to revive it was made. ■ Tbere wore several meetings in Moore J Park yesterday. The two whicii had the ] - i support of the Roman Catholic priestej 1 were arranged to protect against the. J deportation fff Father Jerger, while the : 'Keturned Sailors' and Imperial:' League had gathered for the opposite reason. It was difficult to estimate the I number of people present, but they came' from all point*, of the oonip:!=s, and there : wore probably over 50,1X10 in different ' parts of the ground at one time. The returned soldiers held their meeting on the city end of Moore Park, while So. d platform of the protest meeting was situated at the opposite end. About I midway between the two meetings was placed No. 2 platform of the anti-de-poita-tion section of the crowd. The. , Mayor presided on No. 1 platform, and Mr. P. J. Minahan. M.L.A., on Xo. 2 platform. Both platforms consisted of lorries with chairs and tables placed on them. The soldiers held their meeting in a quiet and orderly manner, and, as everything had passed off fairly quickly, it was believed that the president of the league had achieved his purpose in appealing to the s-oldier.s to leave the other meetings alone. A Union Jack wne floating over tlio soldiers' gathering, and Father O'Reilly had made seme slightly sarcastic references to this in the early part of his speech. Knowledge of "this may have reached the men at the other end'of the ground. At any rate, the soldiers' meeting ended quietly, and many people moved away homeward. A number of soldiers and their friends, however, worked their way dawn into the middle of the No. 2 meeting, and, lilting the Union Jack, whicii had been flying over their platform, forced the:r way up to the lorry. Several speeches had been made from this lorry, and Mr. T. J. Ryan, M.P., was ■just about to *peaJt iwhejn. the new arrivals swept on towards the lorry. An attempt was made by father Jerger's sympathisers to counter the soldiers' move, but this failed, and, although one priest remained on the lorry for same time, it was not long before it was entirely occupied by returned soldiers and their sup-portersi The speakers dieappeared, and the speeches of protest gave placfl to patriotic songs and cheers for the King and Empire. More and more members of the crowd endeavoured to obtain a footing on the I lorry, but many fell off. The small table, which had been used by the chairman, was smashed into pieces, and for a time . it appeared as if eomeone would be injured in the melee which was going on around the lorry. The crowd was a goodtempered one, and no violence n'as displayed. Some of the men were a little boisterous, howerer, and, after had had a, fair chare of fun, the police decided to take a hand. They worked up in ones and twos the side of the lorry, and then at a given signal made a concerted rush on to the lorry. The returned soldiers and others were packed SO closoiy on the lorry, and had such an insecure foothold, that the weight of the firet two or three policemen was: enough to send the whole mase of humanity flying on to the grass. In a flash over a dozen policemen were standing on tne lorry, prepared to keep the rowdy element from returning to it. The transfer was effected with rapidity, and without any unnecessary display of force, and the eoldiers and I their supporters were evidently prepared to admit that the representatives of the ■ law were justified in the action they had I taken. One soldier in uniform wad px'ri mined to get up on the lorry again. ■ and, after he had called for a "show of - J hands of those in favour of the deportation of Father Jerger, he informed the 1 crowd that the eoldiers had achieved their purpose, and a. r ked them to disperse quietly. This many proceeded to do. and, shortly afterwards, the horses were brought- up and harnessed to the ] lorry, which was drawn away t° a quiet j part of the ground, escorted by the whole body fff policemen who had previously secured a footing on it. As the lorry drove away the soldier who had ad- ' dressed the crowd was seated on it on one of the chairs whk-h had remained intact during the seirfflo. Although many prefcnt wore opposed to the action which the poldiere took, tho great majority of the crowd dis- ■ played strong - feelings of patrlot'lrai. , J AVhenever the soldiers commenced to sing the National Anthem, n great sea of hats wae raised, and thousands joined I vociferously in the cheering which folI lowed. I The Xo. 1 meet'.ng oT protest, a little I further away, at vvhi.'b tne LcrJ Mayor I preside,!, was not visited by the rowdy ' i clemcTit. a.nd was allowed to proceed i with the passing of resolutions in pcac^ > and quietness. MKUJOI'KNi:, June 10. Tho l-Y'li-ral Solicitor-ttairral has or— nod :l:i r>:Tjeia' inquiry into the cases of Father .lerger and Dr. Hirschfrld. I whoso deportation was recently ordered Imi*. subsequently susmraded.—(A. and ! N".Z. Cable.. I .