Mr Godfrey Decides To Leave University

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31085, 14 June 1966, Page 22

Mr Godfrey Decides To Leave University

(Neto Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, June 13. The security agent, Mr D. Godfrey, whose presence at Auckland University created a major controversy, has decided to have no further association with the university.

In a letter to the university, he said that “further successful study for my B.A. degree is bound to be so prejudiced that there is little point in my continuing at

Auckland University.”

In a statement Mr Godfrey said: “In view of the amount of publicity that has been given to my attendance at the University of Auckland this year (in spite of the previous four years without publicity) I would like to make the following points:— “I attended the university as a private student at my own request in order to further my education. "The subjects chosen, namely Russian language, modem history and political studies, were those which my department feels are most applicable to the problems of the security service. “I am a bona fide parttime student I am not in the least concerned about the political views of either the staff or my fellow students at the political studies faculty of the university, nor have I ever reported on them. “I am not an ‘agent,’ ‘security flat foot’ (whatever that might be), or anything other than a full-time member of the New Zealand Security Service and a public servant. “My department believes that it has the right to inquire at a university if there is reason to believe that a matter is of security interest. “The department, as I understand it, has a duty to follow Communist front and other subversive activities and the possibility of espionage wherever they may occur. “In my case, I was instructed to make the inquiries in question (namely, those relating to Soviet ’students’ and a ‘cultural exchange’) which I still feel were justified.” Mr Godfrey said that on June 2 he was handed a letter from the university excluding him from scheduled lectures or classes. Subse-

quently, he was offered private tuition once a week on Saturday mornings. In his letter of reply to the university, he said: “It will surely be conceded that private tuition is a poor substitute for a normal university education which the senate is now denying me through no fault of my own. “Having carefully weighed the decision of the senate in the way in which you have conveyed it to me, I have been forced to the conclusion that further successful study for my B.A. degree is bound to be so prejudiced that there is little point in my continuing at Auckland University, and in these circumstances I do not propose to have any

further association with it.” Concluding, Mr Godfrey added: “I consider that, as far as the university is concerned, the only vital point is that I should not abuse my position in the class by using it to collect information about my classmates and lecurers. “I have not done this and I am quite confident that my classmates in the political studies stage 111 group recognise this. “I note that, although they are the most affected of the students, their opinions have been least sought so far. “Personally, I am extremely sorry that they have been embarrassed by this affair which I regard as deplorable.”