STATEMENT BY MRS FREER

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21940, 14 November 1936, Page 15

STATEMENT BY MRS FREER

“PERSONAL HONOUR AT ISSUE” UTTERANCES BY FEDERAL MINISTER “UNFOUNDED ALLEGATIONS” (PBBSS 48S0CIAT10X TELBOBiM.) AUCKLAND, November 13. “It is no longer a question of whether I am able to marry Lieutenant Dewar or not —that is a question that can be fought out or settled in the ordinary way,” said Mrs Freer when interviewed about Mrs Dewar’s statement that she would not be driven into accepting a divorce. “The point at issue is my own personal honour and the retraction of untrue statements made about me by the Minister.” Mrs Freer said it appeared that Mr Paterson had acted more upon the statements of Mrs Dewar than on anything else. “I lived in India off and on with my husband until I left to go .to England with my two children,” she said, in speaking of the Minister’s references to her reputation in India. “I stayed there until the end of 1935. I then went back to India, and it was not until February of this year that I met Lieutenant Dewar at Lahore. As I had always led a model life in India, and had very many social friends there, I am quite at a loss to understand the unfounded allegations of the Minister about my character.” “WILL NOT GIVE UP WITHOUT A FIGHT” MRS DEWAR’S STATEMENT SYDNEY, November 13. The Melbourne correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph” states that Mrs Dewar, wife of Lieutenant Dewar, in announcing that she had no intention of making the way easy for Mrs Freer to return to Australia, stated; “I am not going to give up without a fight or be driven into the position of accepting a divorce. I have my child and my future to think of.!’ AUSTRALIAN ATTITUDE UNCHANGED (Received November 13, 11.30 p.m.) CANBERRA, November 13.

The Minister, for the Interior (Mr T. Paterson) said to-day that if Mrs Free): returned to Australia the Government would still prevent her landing. The Prime Minister (Mr J. A. Lyons) also said there was no change in the attitude of the Government.

BRITISH MINISTER SEEKS REPORT

LONDON, November 12,

It is learned authoritatively that the Secretary of State for the Dominions (Mr Malcolm Mac Donald) has sent a cable message to the British High Commissioner in Australia (Sir Geoffrey Whiskard)) for a report on the case of Mrs M. M. Freer.