STRANDING OF WAHINE

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26513, 30 August 1951, Page 6

STRANDING OF WAHINE

MR MCLAGAN REPLIES TO “THE PRESS”

The following statement was received by “The Press" yesterday from Mr A. McLagan, Labour candidate for Riccarton, in reply to a leading article:— “Most readers of The Press’ will be amazed to find that you are unable to deny having suppressed the news that the Wahine Was sent on her fatal voyage without radar equipment. Your excuses for the suppression—that the news was refused publication because it was written to the editor and that the advertisement was refused publication because it was telephoned and not written—'are so absurdly self-con-tradictory as to cancel each other out. Further, your assertion that the 18 and the tects can-. not be published is not only incorrect Sil J ust d B e ® n< >t square with your statenient that you offered to ‘consider’ publishing an advertisement containln£ a . 4 J n j >st lm P°rtant fact if it was submitted to you in writing. "That ‘The Press’ should have descended to clumsy misrepresentation to excuse its suppressing this news only shows up more clearly the weakness of its position. ‘The Press' alleges HJ a t I commented upon the sending of the Wahine to a war zone without radar. I did nothing of the kind- I Simply said that the Wahine had been sent away without radar. I do not comment now: the attitude of ‘The Press is sufficient comment upon the merits _or demerits of the Governctl°o- Nor did I comment even n , tbe action of The Press’ in shut- ! ne <*Sr w V. on th e news. In this matter The Press' for an obvious reason sees an accuser everywhere. The matter was to be decently hushed up until sent, ‘th elect , lon - and ‘The Press’ republicity” undesired an d unwelcome