MRS FREER’S CASE

Hokitika Guardian, 5 November 1936, Page 5

MRS FREER’S CASE

PROTEST VOICED ; AT COMMONWEALTH ACTION. (Australian Press Association.) CANBERRA, November 4. There was an uproar in the House of to-day over ttie Mrs Freer case. The Minister for the Interior (Mi* Paterson) wap bombarded with questions as to why Sirs Freer had not been allowed to rand in Australia, although New Zealand was admitting her. ' >

Members demanded the reasons lor exclusion, owing to the public interest created in her case, and toe fact that the woman is a British subject. ' ' ‘

A Government member, Mr McCall, asked the Minister whether it was a fact that General Jess had made representations, on behalf of Mrs Dewar, that Lieutenant Dewar, of the Defence Department, who has been on exchange duty in the Indian army, proposed marrying Mrs Freer if the .latter were permitted to land ? The Minister replied that the Immigration Act empowered him to exercise discretion in excluding those persons \dhose entry he had reason to believe would not be in the best interests' of the Commonwealth.

“Acting on that authority,. and on information received, I excluded .the person referred to,” the Minister said. He added that the Cabinet had endorsed his action in declining to disclose the reasons for Mrs'Freer.’s exclusion. '

“FASpISM COULD DO NO MORE.’’ MINISTER’S ACTION CRITICISED. (Received this day at 11.5’a.m.) CANBERRA, November 5. ; Mr McCall, in a further statement to-night, condemned the Government for permitting the Minister to taka the : drastic course; of restrictingi < the personal liberty of a British subject over a private squabble, which could be settled in the civil courts.

Mrs Freer had been, barred because an officer of the ' Defence Department wanted to marry her, and some persons had* sought • to aid ? the Defence Department in preventing his doing so.; Fascism could do no more ■ than had been done in this instance, ho added. > • ‘ - s : • r• ■ . N.Z. OFFERS NO OBJECTION. Per .-V' AUCKLAND, November 4. Refused entry into Australia, Mrs M. Freer was allowed to land at Auckland from the Wanganella ihis morning. Neither the police nor the c«stomjL. a uthortfcies “have received. official advice concerning Mrs Freer, and, Mr. J. Mclntosh, collector of customs at, Auckland, said this morning that, as far as he knew, no objection would be, raised to her landing provided her passport was in order.

MRS. FREER IN AUCKLAND. AN INTERVIEW GIVEN. AUCKLAND, Nov. A. Young, slim and attractive, Sirs M. M. Freer, whose exclusion' from Australia, on the ground that she had failed to pass the dictation test, has aroused widespread interest, arrived here lrom Sydney bv the Wanganeila to-night and she was admitted to New Zealand without any but the usual formalities. *

She is staying at an Auckland hotel, and it is Her intention to remain here, and take legal advice witfh a view to gaining admission to Australia, or at least obtaining a satisfactory reason for her exclusion. Arriving at Fremantle- from India, bv the Maloja, Mrs ...Freer was given a dictation test in Italian, which she failed to pass and she was consequently excluded, under the Immigration Act, from landing. She derived an ironic satisfaction from tne fact that the immigration authorities had to employ an interpreter to give her the test. She had to give her word to the captain of the vessel that she would not attempt to land at anj Australian port. She was, finally permitted To tranship to the Wanganella at Sydney. - ' • : Speaking of,"' her interviews with the Australian immigration authorities. Mrs Freer said that they had treated her courteously, but bad refused to give any reason for thq prohibition on her landing, other than that she had failed to pass the test. “I told them that, as I was the person affected, 1 could surely be given tli e reason privately; but I could get n« satisfatcion.,” she said. While the Maloja, on which was a virtual prisoner, was in Australian ports, she received numerous of sympathy, and several gifts from, people, the great majority of whom were strangers to her. Irish by birth, Mrs Freer was married to a British Army officer in India. He is at present in a civil occupation. She obtained a divorce from him, and tike decree nisi becomes absolute in a few days.

Speaking of her relationship to Vis* countess Cave, her aunt by marriage, who, according to a cable stated She would not interfere in the case, Mrs Freer said that they were the greatest of friends. Lady Cave was upset over the accident to her sister-in-law -Mrs Freer, senr,