MR. WITTY ASKS A QUESTION

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 4, 29 September 1917, Page 8

MR. WITTY ASKS A QUESTION

OFFICERS WITH GERMAN NAMES

A VIGOROUS DEFENCE

:■-A question about:the-trial of a soldier at ; Featherston' Camp was asked in the House.of Representatives yesterday,'.by Mt. G. Witty. He asked the Prime Minister (the Defence Minister being out of the House) whether ho had read the -. account of.the• trial in The Dominion newspaper. Mr. Witty said that the man charge'd was, supposed to have accused, an officer of drunkenness. This ..officer., was Captain :Hotop—a foreign name.-,Tho •prosecuting officer was named TJlrich-r another German name—arid one -of -the chief witnesses'was Major Sweetzer—still another German' name. ' "I want lo know," said Mr. : Witty, "whether-in, future it will be arranged that Englishmen try Englishmen. It seems haiidly. fair, that'men of /foreign extraction should, try this man.? ,'■' ■■'..'-. .'.?;.'., ; Mr. Massey said that Mr." Witty - had better put the question on the. Order Paper because he was riot in a 1 position to answer it. ;,.'•'.'. •■■■ . ■ Referring to the matter later, Mr. Witty said'thatby his name (Hotop) the doctoT '•was a German. And it was singular that the prosecutor Ulfich whr also of Ger-man-descent, and that Majpr Sweetzer. also was a German. It was not fair for a Britisher to bo fried by these men. Ho ,-should-be tried by British men. He did riot say that" these men? were any less -loyal than he-himself was, but men of foreign extraction should net have anything to. do with the trial of British soldiers. Sir James. Allen said that the ordinary rule was,, not to make comment on cases still sub judice, and ho would suggest that this should apply lo this courtmartial. He had heard that while ho was out of the House i some derogatory remarks were made about some of tho officers concerned iu (he court-martial. He had nothing to say about Captain Hotop. The man who accused him would have to prove his charge or take the consequences. .Mr. Witty: What chance has he? Sir James Allen said that, the queetnn of Hotop's nationality bad been up before, ,and he was-,not going to refer. Io it again. He understood that Major Sweetzer had been challenged on account nf his name. Major Sweetzer was an Imperial officer brought hero for special i work. Those who knew anything about the training of our soldiers would support him when he said that he did not think there was a belter man iri.ca.mp fhan Major Sweetzer'.' ■'Ho could not find : words tn express his disgust on.account of . these derogatory, remark's about him in the House. . Ha was a Britisher—every inch of him—and a British soldier. And his name was dragged in the mud under the protection of fho privilege of Parliament. For 400 years his family had been 'British. Major Sweetzer needed no defence from hinr; ,j He; hadf'notliirig : but the highest regard for Major Sweelzer, and he wished every other British officer was as good a- man. ' More derogatory remarks had been made about Li.entenant •-Finch' because of his German name. ."Sir," said Hie Minister. "I hapnen to -fcave known him from the time that he was a baby.-I knew his father, I know his

mother, and I know every member of his family.- His father -was a personal friend of mine. It is true that his father was born in. Germany. He came to Australia iu the very early times, and had a very good record there. He was brought over here for special service in our mining and geological work, and he did good service for this country. Subsequently he became a professor in Otago University. I attended his classes and became a personal friend of his. He married an Ijiglish woman, and became a Britisher, as good and as loyal a Britisher ns any man in this country. And his son's name is dragged through the mire in the House of Representatives!" Sir James Allen continued that Professor -TJlrich had been such a close friond that' he had asked him before he died to look after his boys. And he was here now to defend this l>ny against the vile aspersion cast upon him by members of this House. Mr. Witty: ''My officers can do no wrong!" You are talking buncombe. Sir James Allen again protested against the blackening of a man's character in this wav. ' ', , .Mr. Witty: What about the Black pamphlet? Sir James'Allen said that the Ulnchs were British born in tfcls country, and worthy sons of, a good country. He hoped he would hoar no more of this sort of thing in the House. Mr. Witty: You will. Sir James' Allen: Well, the defence will come from me when I know as much about the men charged as I do in this case. ' ■ !