EVACUEES FROM EAST INDIES

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24740, 4 December 1945, Page 3

EVACUEES FROM EAST INDIES

FIRST DRAFT NOW DUE EARLY NEXT MONTH

ARRANGEMENTS FOR CARE AND RECEPTION

(P.A.) _ AUCKLAND, December 3. Details of the scheme under which a great number of Dutch families, involving thousands of people, will come to New Zealand from - imernment camps in the Netherlands Indies were given by Mr E. F. M. van Hall, Netherlands Vice-Consul in New Zealand. The scheme was announced recently by Mr Jan van Holst Pellekaan, Netherlands Indies Trade Commissioner for Australia, who said the people were being brought to the Dominion to'recuperate from their experiences at the hands of the Japanese. Mr van Hall said drafts would come to the Dominion in rotation. Each group would stay for about four months, when it would return to Java, and would be followed by another draft. In the main, the drafts would consist of - groups of complete families who were still in the camps in which the Japanese had interned them. Because of unrest in Java, combined with lack of shipping, it had not yet been possible to evacuate them. Lack of shipping had affected the start of the scheme, .and the draft which was expected to arrive by the middle of this month had unfortunately been held up, said Mr van Hall. It'was now hoped that the first 1000 people would arrive early in January. Big Organisation A large organisation was being set up in New Zealand to control the scheme, and it would be operated by the Netherlands Indies Welfare Organisation. which was a Government- organisation. said Mr van Hall. Administration centres were to be set up in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch. and they would be staffedjiy Dutch and New Zealanders. Each would employ from 20 to 40 persons, who would deal with the reception of the internees, their welfare while in New Zealand, and arrangements for their return to Java. Dealing with the accommodation of the people during their stay in New Zealand, Mr van Hall said all details h-’d not yet oeen completed. They would go first to the main reception centres, and would bk accommodated in hostels and community settlements which were being secured for them. He was unable to say at present what the location _of the establishments would be, but it was hoped that they would be near towns, "Although no appeal has been made to have these people taken into private homes in New Zealand, we have received many generous offers from New Zealanders who are willing to billet them," said Mr van Hall. “The influx of these evacuees should prove to be of substantial monetary benefit to New Zealand. It is expected that many hundreds of thousands of pounds will be brought to ".he Dominion.” Mr van Hall said most of the people, apart from the children, spoke English. and language should not present any great difficulties for them. Although it was not stated by Mr van Hall, a recent broadcast from the B.B ; C. announced that the Netherlands Indies Welfare Organisation had setaside £1,000,000 to be spent on internees coming to New Zealand.