TWO STOWAWAYS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22725, 11 May 1937, Page 14

TWO STOWAWAYS

DIFFICULT PROBLEM RUSSIANS ON STEAMER LANDING NOT POSSIBLE PERSISTENT HUNGER STRIKER Because they have no passports or other identification papers, and are literally "men without a-oountry," the two Russian stowaways on the steamer Brandon have become a worrying problem as far as the captain of the ship is concerned. As restricted immigrants they cannot land in New Zealand, and even if they are taken back to Antwerp, where they stowed away, it is possible that they will be refused admission to Belgium on account of their lack of the necessary papers. The situation has been complicated by the fact that tho Russian Jew, Michael Levinsky, who began a hunger strike nine days ago, seems still determined to continue his voluntary starvation. Although weakened by lack of food, he is still able to stand. He refuses even to drink water. Both stowaways again spent the night locked in a deck cabin 011 tho ship. Forcible Feeding

A prolonged fast may have serious I effects upon the stowaway, and tho question of taking him ashore to hospital for forcible feeding will probably be discussed to-day. Tho collector of customs, Mr. J. Mcintosh, stated last night that ho was quite prepared to grant a temporary permit to Levinsky for that purpose. If that was done the Customs Department would enter into a deed of covenant with the captain of the ship to cover any expenses that tho Government might be involved in. The Brandon is to remain in port foe about two weeks, and will then go to New Plymouth, it seems likely that the stowaways will be kept in custody until tho ship sails for Australia on her way back to Europe. As far as tho police are concerned, they cannot act unless tho men are given in charge. Up to tho present they have not been asked to interfere, and they regard the stowaways as not officially in Now Zealand as long as they remain on the ship. Heavy Charge on Ship An .officer of the Brandon said last night that the men would have to be kept on board and would have to be taken back to Europe. They had been a charge on tho ship for the 81 days of the voyage from Antwerp. When the ship called at Capetown and Durban tho police had taken the stowaways into custody and put them on board again just before she sailed. As far as New Zealand was concerned, however, there seemed nobody to take tho responsibility for them.

"Neither of the men has papers to show his official record," said the officer. "All we have is their verbal statements, except in tlio case of one, who has a paper from the Antwerp police giving him 48 hours to get out of the country. They both say that they are White Russians, and that they would be killed if they went back to Russia, but there is nothing to prove anything they say."