POLITICAL OPINIONS OF NURSES

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22108, 2 June 1937, Page 8

POLITICAL OPINIONS OF NURSES

♦ Questions Before Departure For Spain STATEMENTS TO POLICE SENT TO MINISTERS (PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) AUCKLAND, June 1. The statements made before a Justice of the Peace by the three nurses who were interrogated by the police in Auckland before their departure for Spain are being forwarded by the Auckland Spanish Medical Aid Committee to the Acting-Prime Minister (the Hon. P. Fraser) and the Minister for Internal Affairs (the Hon. W. E. Parry). The nurses said that after the discussion of matters relating to passport regulations they were taken separately into another room in the police station and asked several questions, among which were the following:— How did you come into touch with the Spanish Medical Relief Committee? Are you a Communist? Have you ever subscribed to the Communist Party? Have you taken part in any Communist activities? Do you know anything about the politics of Spain? Statements embodying their answers were typed out and they signed them on being told that they must do so. It was stated on behalf of the Spanish Medical Aid Committee that the committee had no objection whatever to the police procedure so far as it was directed merely to ascertaining that the nurses were travelling to Spain under the auspices of an organisation approved by the British Government. However, the committee objected to the interrogation into the nurses' political opinions after it had been ascertained that they were travelling to Spain under such auspices.