Admission of Refugees To New Zealand

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 275, 19 November 1938, Page 2

Admission of Refugees To New Zealand

“WE CANNOT SIDESTEP OUR OBLIGATIONS *’ Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Nov. 17. THe question of the admission intc New Zealand of Jewish and other European refugees was placed before the Prime Minister, the Rt Hon. M. J. Savage, by a deputation from the Dominion Council of the League of Nations Union in the form of a resolution passed at this year’s conference. Mr Savage assured the deputation that the resolution would be submitted tc the Government at the earliest possible opportunity, when the whole question of refugees would be discussed, and the best the Government was able to do would be done. The deputation was introduced by the president of the union, Professor F. L. W. Wood. Other members were Col. Corrigan, the Rev. W. H. P. McKenzie, Mr H. McCormick, Mrs J. Henderson and Miss M. E. P. Ahern, secretary Professor Wood said that the resolution asked the Government in the name of humanity to deal generously with applications and to waive, because of their unsuitability to the present circumstances, existing requirements relating to financial guarantees, also to remove some of the restrictions in relation to defined occupations. In the course of his reply, which evinced the Government’s sympathy, Mr Savage said that it was a question of preparing the way before people could be allowed to land in New Zealand in large numbers. They would have to deal with refugees straight out and fhat was a phase of migration that the Government would have to face up to in conjunction with other parts of the Empire and other parts of the world, and it was not too clear to him at the moment what other parts would do outside of talking. ‘Talking won’t help the Jewish people very much,” he said “At the moment we are just taking as many as we can without overstepping or losing sight of our obligations to Britain herself." Mr Savage afterwards told the deputation that the question was just one of getting the nations of the world to accept a fair share of their obligations, rather than by trying to saddle a few with the responsibility. “It is everyone’s responsibility as far as that goes,” he added. “We cannot sidestep—if I might use the term—°ur obligation in this way, either as individuals or in a collective sense. We have got to do the best we can in order to help those who are unable to help themselves.”