NECESSITY FOR SECRECY.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 15268, 3 May 1915, Page 7

NECESSITY FOR SECRECY.

11 EM ARKS lIV THE COYEKNOR. (mESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) AUCKLAND, May 1. Speaking at a civic dinner at which the retiring Mayor (Mr C. .1. Parr, M.l\) was entertained, the Governor said: "I know everyone in the Dominion is asking whether 1 can give them any news of the Dominion's troops on active service. I regret to tell yon that I have no further news beyond what I have given to the Press.' ! They were anxious, he added, to hear details ot tho doings of those they hold dear to them. lip could assure thorn that at tho first opportunity, whether it came, to him, or whether it came through the channel of the Army Council to the Minister of Defence., that news would bo given >is early as possible, and at tho first opportunity. Tho Imperial Government had given him instructions that on no account was the departureof troops from Egypt or their landing to bo divulged. Neither the Government nor the. censor was responsible for the fact that these things hail not been made public before. lie himself had simply carried out the orders of tho Imperial Government, and he hoped that ho had done so to the letter. He would carry out every order that camo in future in the same manner. (Applause.) , News could not be given out until the manoeuvres and the strategy of the Allies' troops were completed.

His Excellency deprecated tho spreading of rumours regarding the troops, and said no one had any right to offer conjectures as to what had taken place. If anything of importance occurred he believed that he would bo tho first person in the Dominion to know particulars. Statements had been made that casualties had occurred among tho men of the Expeditionary Force. Ho strongly deprecated tho spreading of these most unfortunate rumours, and earnestly trusted that tho losses wore not severe, but ho thought that tho sooner the scandal-mongers got their due the better "it would be. No one had any right to conjecture as to what had taken place.