MR FRASER AND “THE PRESS”

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25768, 1 April 1949, Page 10

MR FRASER AND “THE PRESS”

“ N.Z. NATIONAL REVIEW ” REFERENCE

Under the heading of “Controlled Flare-up" the “New Zealand National Review” has a paragraph on the criticism by the Prime Minister (Mr Fraser) of an article in “The Press" on the amendment of the Stabilisation Regulations. “Mr Fraser’s outburst in Auckland against ‘The Press,’ Christchurch, which dared to publish a story about what it alleged happened -in caucus, occasioned no surprise,” says the magazine. “Such flare-ups are recognised among those who know Mr Fraser and appreciate his tactics as indicative of soffie deeper purpose man appears on the surface. “Generally he is not really half as ~ngry as he appears, but is shrewd nough to see an onportunity for getng publicity, in the guise of an at■ck. for views he wishes to hammer '.ome. Long ago he realised that th£ 'ublic will read and the press will int somebody’s attack on somebody else. “In this instance he was anxious to tell New Zealand that the Labour Party was a united party, that it was preparing for the General Election as a united party, and that there were no' left-wingers outside. He got the story over with better headlines than would have been granted had he just said that and no more.”