CO129-590-11 Commission of Enquiry into irregularities in Immigration Departments 22-4-1941 - 19-12-1941 — Page 299

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I had been acting was not in his office at the moment, I reported the incident to him when he returned which would probably lead to under-

stand why Mr. H.R. Sequeira's complaint remained unanswered since as

far as I know he was decidedly in the wrong.

Mr. Forrest: You may remember at the last hearing I undertook if possible

to get in touch with Mr. Clague. I had considerable difficulty in

doing so,

but at last I established communication with khêm him this

morning; he says he remembers nothing about the day and declines to

come and give evidence. I have however composed something here which

I should like to put forward with regard to the kappanding happenings

on the President Liner. (Reads)-

"Since the last hearing at which I told the Commission that the

letter of Mr. Keswick with its charges came to me as a complete

surprise, I racked my brains for incidents in connection with the

examination of the President liner on the day in question. The

مسه

following incidents have occurred to me:

1. Shortly after my arrival I was informed by one of my subordinates

that Mr. M.K. Lo was on board, I at once sent somebody to find Mr.

Lo and to request him to come to see me. The reply was that Mr. Lo

had already left. My intention was to ask Mr. Lo to sit with me

while I supervised the examination, and I confidently ask whether

anybody can imagine that I had the intention to ask one of the most

unsparing critics of the whole scheme of Immigration control to be

a witness of discourtesy.

2. Amongst the passengers was a European woman who came to the

examination desk accompanied by her little daughter, aged 4 or 5.

I saw that the daughter's name was entered on the mother's passport

and I said to the little girl: "So you are another Robin, are you?

The mother then said to me:"Is your name Robin too?" I venture to

aak whether either my question would have been asked by a bully or

whether the mother would have replied in that friendly fashion to

one of bullying and uncivil demeanour.

3. An English woman produced to me her passport and I asked whether

she had a certificate of vaccination, She produced it and I noted

that she had been inoculated not only against Cholera and Small-pox

but against a number of other diseases as well. I remarked to her: