MINER DEPORTED.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 16468, 21 June 1919, Page 4

MINER DEPORTED.

FOUR TIMES ACROSS PACIFIC,

HELD UP AS A MARTYR.

SYDNEY, Juno 5. AVhon the Sonoma arrived last week from San Francisco the reporters were lot loose on a “story” which has since been agitating tho public mind a good deal. They discovered that, aboard, was a man of 35, Paul I'Teeman, who lias ben travelling backwards and forwards across the Pacific, between Sydney and San Francisco, since January last, and was nob allowed to land anywhere. • Freeman is a miner, and is behoved to bo an American. He was arrested by the military' authorities last January m Queensland and was placed aboard tho Sonoma just before she sailed. The shipping people grumblingly accepted him as a deportee. in San Francisco, the American authorities would have nothing to do with him. They said they had no evidence that ho was of American citizenship, and without a passport he could not land. So back to Sydney he came again. The Australian authorities placed a military guard aboard to see that he did not land. The shipping company conveyed him hack, to San Francisco, and the pantomimes was repeated, ho was violently waved off by America. So when he arrived back in Sydney again, tho wearied shipping company, now sick of the sight of Freeman, gave a hint to the newspapers. Of course, tho. extraordinary case raised considerable excitement. Tho stupid military authorities refused to give any information about the case, and all sorts of stories suggesting martyrdom of Freeman went about. Then Mr. Watt, tho Acting-Prime Minister of the" Commonwealth, made the following statement:—“Paul Freeman, who isbelieved to bo an American citizen, was deported as an alien disaffected towards the British Crown, on information which fully justified that course. H® was given ample opportunity to make a statement before the vessel sailed. Arrangements have been made for him to be disembarked from the Sonoma and placed under detention, pending tho institution of inquiries with a view definitely to establishing his nationality. Steps are being taken to ascertain the reason for the refusal of the United States authorities to permit. him to land in that country.” Following is a sample of the extravagant language being used to convince the public of Freeman’s martyrdom:— Alderman Meagher, at a public meeting in Sydney Town Flail, said: “It is: considerably over half a century ago, when democracy had to fight for its life, and was first baptised in blood and suffering and sacrifice at tho Eureka Stockade. (Uproar.) These rugged miners won the liberties which we are supposed to bo enjoying. You all know Freeman’s case; you all know how ho was arrested in far North Queensland, and thrown into prison, and placed on board tho Sonoma for deportation. . (Uproar.]) Some attempt was made to intern him as an enemy subject, but apparently, like the lonely Nozarene, the Pharisees could not got him in tho meshes of tha law—(applause)—and so had recourse to deportation. (Cries of ‘Shame.’) Tho Government refers to evidence, but as there was no trial of this case, whore is tho evidence? (Uproar.) .The Government says evidence was submitted that Freeman said ‘A man who went to the war or joined the army was lower than a dog.’ All I have to say is that a man who , would go to the war after this treatment in Australia has not the intelligence of a dog. (Loud and prolonged applause.) We are going to "light a match to-day that will blaze from Carpentaria to Port Philip, and from Sydney Harbour to Fremantle, and we are going to determine whether the method of the Hun and the tyranny of the Russian Czar is to be copied in Australia, under tho smoke screen of the War Precautions Act.” (Loud and prolonged applause.) Another speaker said he had showed Freeman the’ accusations of the Act-ing-Minister for Defence. He denied them, and said he was never an I.W.W. man, and considered the charge was' made, for the purpose of turning public opinion against him. He also said he never had a drop of German blood in his veins.

Freeman was brought ashore yesterday and taken tot a hospital.