West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954), Thursday 9 October 1902, page 5


TROOPSHIP SCANDALS. THE DRAYTON GRANGE INQUIRY. FORECAST OF THE COMMISSION'S REPORT. BLAME CAST UPON SEVERAL AUTHORITIES. Melbourne, October 8. The Drayton Grange Royal Commission completed its report at a meeting that it held to-day. The members will meet again at noon to-morrow, to append their signatures, so that it may be presented to Parliament later in the afternoon. The members, it has been said, find that the troopship Drayton Grange was unduly overcrowded, and that, while the cubic space available for the troops might have been suflicient to comply with the army transport regulations, it was not sufficient in the case of a troopship entering upon such a long voyage and with some of the 1,900 officers and men suffering from measles. By diligent inquiry, the members of the Commission have, it has been said, discovered that the germs of the measles epidemic were actually taken out to South Africa by some of those, who Scame back in the Drayton Grange, and, consequently, it was not surprising that cases began to develop after the vessel had been only a few hours at sea. In view of the number of troops aboard, the Commission will state that the medical stores that were provided were quite inadequate. In his and other respects they will probably assert that the chief blame for the unfortunate occurrences of the voyage from South Africa rests with the Durban authorities. Colonel Lyster the general officer in command on board the troopship protested, it has been found, against so many men being shipped by the vessel, but his objection was disregarded. As he did protest in some measure, theCommission will absolve him from the. primary responsibility, but, at the same time, it will declare that the discipline on board was lax, and that, to some extent he was at fault for the occurrences on the voyage. The Commission may also assert that in its opinion Colonel Lyster was not sufficiently insistent upon the of landing sick troops at Albany.Captain Captain Shields the principal medical officer on. board, will also, probably, be charged with not having fully realised the responsibilities of his position, and with not having displayed sufficient resource in the circumstances. This the Commission appears inclined to attribute to inexperience. The Commission will, it is believed, announce that in its opinion the West Austialian health authorities acted wrongly in practically refusing to allow the sick soldiers to be landed at Albany, in spite of Captain Shields's representations, and accordingly they will be condemned for the attitude that they adopted towards both the medical and military officers on the Drayton Grange.