MRS. FREER IS ON AWATEA

Northern Advocate, 2 December 1936, Page 8

MRS. FREER IS ON AWATEA

ON HER WAY TO AUSTRALIA ?

WOULD NOT SPEAK OVER RADIO ’PHONE

i Per Press Association. Copyright .] AUCKLAND, This Day. M. M. Freer is a passenger for Sydney on board the Awatea.

This was established today when the “Auckland Star” spoke to the purser of the Awatea, Mr R. Pironi,

on the radio telephone. A person-to-person call was put through to the Awatea for Mrs Freer, but, as she declined to come to the telephone, a response was accepted from the purser.

The “Star” asked: Is Mrs Freer on

board? Mr Pironi; Yes. she is on board. Can’t she come to the telephone, please? Mr Pironi: No, she is in her cabin in bed and the call cannot be put through to her cabin. The “Star” informed the purser that an important cable had been received, indicating that the Ministry would not. permit Mrs Freer to land in Australia, and the 'decision of Mr Paterson would be upheld. The purser was good enough to convey the message to Mrs Freer, and to obtain a reply. After about two minutes’ wait, the

purser returned to the telephone saying: “The only statement Mrs Freer will make is that she will await the Cabinet’s decision. She has nothing more to say.”

The conversation was crystal clear, the voice of the Awatea’s purser being heard as easily as though he were talking from a telephone in the city.

Accompanied By Legal Adviser. A Wellington message says that, despite the decision of the Commonwealth Government not to admit Mrs Freer into Australia, she left Wellington last night on the Awatea for Sydney, accompanied by Mr O’Donnell, her Australian legal adviser. Inquiries from pex*sons in Wellington, who were in touch with Mrs Freer prior to her departure, elicit the information that it was expected that the Federal. Cabinet would not maintain the ban, and. therefore, a passage on the Awatea was arranged. The Union Steamship Company raised no objection, the company, as common carriers, having no option but to accept Mrs Freer as a passenger. However, it is reported that, as a precaution, a return ticket to New* Zealand was taken out. and an undertaking was given that any expense involved to the shipping company through any inability to land the passenger in Australia would be recouped by Mrs Freer.