[Newspaper clipping attached to a blank piece of paper, with the handwritten label 'Sydney Morning Herald 6/2/09.']

[Headline:] SHIPWRECKED ASIATICS

The following letter has been sent to the Department of External Affairs by Senator Pulsford:

Sydney, Feb. 4, 1909.

The Hon. E.L. Batchelor, M.P.

Sir – I wired early on the 2^nd inst. [of this month] to your department as follows:-

"Sincerely hope Mr Batchelor will prevent any rigid reading of Immigration Restriction Act which would lessen hospitality for survivors or reverence for dead, in Clan Ranald disaster."

To-day I have an intimation from Mr Atlee Hunt that he is directed to acknowledge the receipt of my telegram.

I have the honour now to draw our attention to correspondence with your department on the occasion of the wreck of the Australian in Torres Straits in November, 1906. I wrote as follows to Mr Deakin on November 28 1906:-

[Letter in smaller text:] The Hon. Alfred Deakin.

Dear Sir, - I thank you for your prompt reply to my telegram on the subject of the shipwrecked Chinese. Permit me to point out that the actions of the Customs authorities at Thursday Island in refusing to allow these most unfortunate men to land was tacitly endorsed by the department of which you are the head, when guarantees were asked for; and though instructions to permit the landing t take place were afterwards given, the wrong had been done, the affront had been given.

I venture to ask you to recognise that in the face of grave disaster, and, it may be, peril to life, every officer of the Commonwealth should understand that Australia attaches more importance to the safety and care of the victims of disaster than to all other considerations, and that the honour of Australia must not be tarnished. May I presume to suggest that a minute should be issued under your hand as Prime Minister of the Commonwealth, requiring all officers to facilitate the landing of all shipwrecked persons, irrespective of nationality. This would prevent the recurrence of this grave scandal, and would be some token of the regret which I am sure you must feel in regard to this most regrettable incident.

E. PULSFORD. [end smaller text.]

To this the following reply was sent:- 

[Letter in smaller text:] Sir, - In acknowledging the receipt of your letter of 28^th inst with reference to the shipwrecked Chinese ex the S.S. Australian, I have the honour, by direction of the Prime Minister, to inform you that the matter of issuing a circular instruction to customs officers, as suggested, will receive consideration.

ATLEE HUNT, Secretary. [end smaller text.]

In this matter of instructions to the officers of the Customs, apparently, and regrettably, nothing was done.

Last year the steamer Aeon was wrecked in the Pacific, and after being castaway on an island for weeks the passengers and crew were brought to Brisbane.

Included in the total were 33 Chinese, and I think I am correct in saying that in Brisbane not only was permission to land refused to the Chinese, but, much to their indignation, handprints of the whole 33 were taken.

Now we have this Clan Ranald wreck, one of the saddest that has ever taken place in Australian waters. Forty lives have been lost, mainly Lascars, and the survivors, after their narrow escape from the jaws of death, were at once pounced upon by officials, and compelled to give their handprints.

May I, with all respect, urge that no time should now be lost in "issuing a circular instruction to customs officers", as spoken of in the letter already quoted. It is not fair even to the officers that they should be left without some latitude in such cases. I noted with great pleasure that you had yourself moved in the matter, I think, before my message arrived, but the handprint indignity had already been imposed on the poor fellows.

The fact that the Commonwealth has adopted what is known as the "white Australia" policy should make the Commonwealth alert to show by every possible courtesy and act of goodwill that the policy in question does not spring from illfeeling [sic].

E. PULSFORD.