DISPLACED PERSONS AS IMMIGRANTS: VIEWS OF RETURNING ARMY OFFICER

Greymouth Evening Star, 1 September 1947, Page 4

DISPLACED PERSONS AS IMMIGRANTS: VIEWS OF RETURNING ARMY OFFICER

(P.A.) AUCKLAND, This Day. “In view of the prospects of immigration, the problem of displaced persons in Germany, if tackled properly, should be solved in another 12 months.” This statement was made by Brigadier T. J. King, of Wellington, who returned today in the Athenic after nearly two years in Germany with UNRRA. Replying to a question he said that provided there was careful selection,' a percentage of the displaced persons remaining in the British occupation zone of Germany would make suitable immigrants for New Zealand. There were about 120,000 displaced persons of various nationalities in his district when he took up his appointment, said Brigadier’ King. The district covered the provinces of the North Rhine and Westphalia and the displaced persons were in camps with populations varying from 1000 to 14,000. The first task was to relieve the British Army of the burden of caring for these people. The idea was then that it would be merely a task of locking after them till they could return to their own countries, but Polish, Ukrainian and Baltic peoples were not willing to return to their homelands because of politics. However, as a result of favourable reports from Poland, a large number of Poles had .since gone back.