WIVES ANGRY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24771, 22 November 1941, Page 11

WIVES ANGRY

HONGKONG EVACUEES Women evacuated from Hongkong to Australia have appealed to Mr Duff Cooper to arrange for their return. There are 3200 of them in Australia. At a meeting of 300 of the women at Federation House, it was announced (says an Australian paper) that a letter had been sent to Mr Duff Cooper, asking for an interview with him. An official committee, which will co-oper-ate with similar committees in Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide, was elected by ballot. In the letter to Mr Duff Cooper, the following statements were made:— “We are bitterly resentful of the unjust treatment meted out to us by the Government of Hongkong. We obeyed the evacuation order because we thought we were doing our duty. Actually we were duped by the Government. “ Certain officials’ wives knew beforehand of the impending order, and found, and were given, ‘ urgent ’ jobs which would exempt them from the order. Some who did leave were permitted to return.”

It was pointed out at the meeting that the Chief Justice of Hongkong. Sir Atholl Macgregor, had said that compulsory evacuation was illegal, and that there were now 1080 British-born women and 563 British-born children still in the colony. The wife of the Crown Solicitor, who was director of the evacuation, was among the women who remained.