ADMIRAL'S SPEECH.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 153, 30 June 1934, Page 11

ADMIRAL'S SPEECH.

CRITICISM IN PARLIAMENT. REPLY BY MINISTER. (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON", this day. The rocent comment on tho possibilities of trouble in the Pacific which was made by Rear-Admiral Binges Watson in an address to a Nelson school provoked Labour members in tho House this morning to critical references, and they inquired whether a speech of that kind was endorsed or repudiated by the Government. "Personally, I thought it very interesting," interjected Mr. Coates. "It was a forecast of what might happen.' , Mr. P. Fraser (Labour, Wellington Central) suggested that it might have an effect prejudicial to the maintenance of friendly relations, and the Government should indicate its opinion as to whether such comment could be permitted by an imported naval officer. It was, he said, a speech to children, who were told what the rear-admiral thought was going to happen, and that they would be in the carnage. The Minister of Defence, Mr. Cobbe, said he had discussed the matter with the rear-admiral, who explained that ho had accepted an invitation of the school authorities to speak to the. children, and he had thought it a semi-private function. He was unaware that reporters were- present. He was also not clear that he had been correctly reported. Mr. W. E. Barnard (Labour, Napier): Under those circumstances the minds of children could be safely poisoned.

Mr. Fraser reminded the House of a case where an American admiral was court-martialled for making statements which tended to cause irritation of relations with a foreign Government.