The "Godfrey Affair" University Council Calls For Inquiry

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31091, 21 June 1966, Page 16

The "Godfrey Affair" University Council Calls For Inquiry

fNeto Zealand PreM Attoetation) AUCKLAND, June 20. The Auckland University Council has called for a full public inquiry into the presence at the university of a Security Intelligence agent, Mr D. Godfrey, and events arising from it. The council at its meeting today after hearing a full report on talks in Wellington last week from the Vice-Chancellor, Mr K. J. Maidment, unanimously passed a resolution asking the Governor-General to appoint a commission of inquiry. Mr Maidment met the Minister of Labour (Mr Shand), the Minister of Justice (Mr Hanan), and the head of Security Intelligence (Mr H. E. Gilbert) in Parliament Buildings on Friday.

He told the council today that Mr Hanan had said in a telegram to the university that he would recommend the appointment of a commission of inquiry, if the council wanted one.

It was apparent that a great amount of dust and smoke had been stirred up over the whole business, said Mr Maidpgent, and that there was complete confusion in some people’s minds both inside and outside the House of Representatives. “I am quite certain that the good name of the university has suffered,” he said.

Certain members of the staff, especially Professor R. M. Chapman and Dr. Ruth Butterworth, of the Political Studies Department, were suffering as a result of “intolerable allegations” as to their conduct and intentions. Mr Maidment said a public inquiry would clear the air and discover the truth. Misconceptions There was no suggestion that Mr Godfrey was to blame for all that had happened, said Mr Maidment “The whole nonsense has grown up from a series of misconceptions. There is no nigger in the woodpile, no villain in the piece.” The Senate bad wholeheartedly endorsed the action of the Dean’s Committee to exclude Mr Godfrey from lectures. Mr Maidment moved “that the council request the Gov-ernor-General to appoint a

commission to inquire into and report upon the questions arising out of or concerning the events at the university of Auckland involving Mr D. Godfrey, a member of the Security Service.” The motion was seconded by Mr E. H. Halsted, was carried unanimously. “I have very good reason to believe that the Government would welcome that suggestion,” said Mr Maidment. “They, too, would like to see this whole sorry matter ended.” Attacks On Staff Professor J. F. Northey, head of the Law Department and professor of public law, said two aspects of the matter had caused him grave concern. First, a simple, clear-cut issue of the propriety of an active security officer being present on a university campus had become an investigation of Communists in the universities and a personal attack on staff members. Secondly, wildly inaccurate and exaggerated versions of recent events were being given currency by persons who had taken little or no trouble to verify what they asserted as fact “I know of no other case where such damaging re-

marks have been made concerning university staff in their professional capacity,” said Professor Northey. Unfortunately, the grave harm done could not be remedied even by the appointment of a commission, he said. A commission could establish the facts, said Professor Northey. But, in the meantime, great harm had been done to the university, particularly in its capacity to recruit staff overseas.