MRS. FREER RETURNS

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 63, 8 December 1936, Page 12

MRS. FREER RETURNS

Reasons For Her Secret Departure NEWSPAPER’S SCHEME Witli little more attention than is paid to ordinary travellers, Mrs. M. M. Freer, who was again refused entry to Australia last week, returned to Wellington by the Awatea from Sydney yesterday. In an effort to secure admission to the Commonwealth she left secretly by the vessel from Wellington last Tuesday. Reaching Sydney on Friday morning, she was subjected to another dictation test, which she failed to pass, and was detained on board. Meantime application was made to the High Court for a writ of habeas corpus. This was refused, and Mrs. Freer was obliged to return in the Awatea. Passengers on board said that shortly before the Awatea sailed from Sydney a fair-sized crowd came on board to see Mrs. Freer. On the voyage across she mixed with other people, played deck games, and danced. On Saturday night she had a radiotelephone conversation with Lieutenant Dewar, who was sent to Albury for ■duty and who did not see her at Sydney.

The latest attempt to get Mrs. Freer into Australia was planned by a Sydney morning newspaper which lias been crusading in an effort to secure her entry. It paid her passage both ways and also put up a bond of £lOO. A senior member of the staff of the paper was sent over to escort her on the trip to Sydney, and to endeavour to see that the plan was not revealed prematurely. When the High Court upheld the action of the Minister of the Interior, Mr. T. Paterson, in refusing Mrs. Freer permission to land, what news interest in her case then remained. said the passenger. was killed by the advent into the columns of newspapers all over the world of the name of another woman, whose associations have caused an unprecedented crisis in Britain. Mrs. Freer told a passenger that she had been offered a contract of £2OO a week by a Sydney theatre in event of her being successful in landing. She had no intention of accepting a stage contract in New Zealand. Referring to Lieutenant Dewar, she said she would not renounce him, but felt an even greater attachment to him for his steadfastness in standing by her. She was keenly disappointed at having been refused entry for the second time, as she felt right to the last moment that she would lx? allowed in. It was not until a quarter of an hour of the Awatea’s sailing for New Zealand that she received the final “No.” Her only consolation was that she was going hack to New Zealand, where she was assured of a warm welcome. Mrs. Freer later told the Press that she proposed to remain in Wellington for a while. She hoped to secure a job, but her plans were indefinite. CASE TO BE TAKEN Further Lieutenant Dewar’s Statement (Received December 7. 11.50 p.m.) Sydney, December 7. Lieutenant Dewar, who is at Albury, referring to the banning of Mrs. Freer,said :* — “The case will be taken further. The Minister of the Interior had no right to ban a British subject in such a way. We will fight tooth and nail to achieve our rights and will not let up until the ban is lifted.” A further statement was made by Lieutenant Dewar, who is conducting a class of instruction in gunnery at Albury. He said that further action on behalf of Mrs. Freer would be originated in New Zealand on Friday. He added that the information on which Mr. T. Paterson, Minister of the Interior, acted came not from any official source, but from a man win# once believed himself in favour with Mrs. Freer and who threatened he woultl have her prohibited from entering Australia.