CONSUL PROTESTS

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22518, 28 September 1938, Page 8

CONSUL PROTESTS

REPORTED ACTIVITIES OF JAPANESE

OVERSEAS VISITORS DENY WAKING STATEMENT

(PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEOEfM.)

WELLINGTON, September 27

A report circulated in New Zealand newspapers asserting that two overseas visitors, Messrs E. de Rothschild and N. Purqell-Fitzger-ald, said they had seen Japanese in Auckland using cameras with telescopic lenses, and apparently mapping out defences having been repudiated by both men to the ConsulGeneral for Japan at Sydney, the Consul-General for Japan at Wellington, Mr K. Gunji, has forwarded a written protest to the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage) complaining against the untruth of the newspaper report. Mr Savage has given permission to Mr Gunji to publish his reply, in which Mr Savage says: “I may state that my Government has no evidence as to the authority of the statement in question, and in view of Mr Purcell-Fitzgerald’s denial of responsibility, it would seem that some misunderstanding has arisen. The newspaper statement, in any event, does not appear to be founded or fact, and I feel sure that your countrymen would not be parties to any such proceeding as that referred to.”

The original report was contained in “The Press,” Christchurch, and was widely reprinted, and was the subject of a question in the House of Representatives on June 30, when the Minister for Defence was asked whether his attention had been directed to the newspaper report.