THE CASE OF PROFESSOR YON ZEDLITZ

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 146, 22 June 1915, Page 4

THE CASE OF PROFESSOR YON ZEDLITZ

TO THE BDITOX. Sits— Those citizeno whom the mention of the word German affects in much the Bame way as the sight of a mouse aflocts a woman should control their hysteria, and take a wider vision of affairs"'. Certainly prima faci^ a German, being a German, is an enemy, but there is no rule without an exception, and in the case of Professor- yon Zcdlitz those who will calmly make themselves acquainted with the facts and surrounding circumstances will, if true to themselves, be forced to the conelusiou that the ca*c ol Professor yon Zedlitz is eminently an exception. In addition to his owu persona] attributes and conduct, which outweigh a hundredfold the slight Gerniau taint 111 his Uiir&jgPt thrro arc tho ctaiim o£ hie immediate imdly to cojuaderatiou. It

will no doubt be distasteful to the Professor to see references to domestic matters, but those who would deprive him of his means of livelihood should know that his wife is a descendant of one of those strong men whose names live in the history of New Zealand. There are few living now who can recall the admiration commanded by the three F.'s— Featherston; Fox, and Fitzherbert — who, among other things, played a great part in the fight for constitutional Government for this Dominion, and, since victory gained (to mention only one of many political services), the late Sir William Fitzherbert, then a Minister of the Crown under the Constitution he fought to secure, was prominent in the development of the "self-reliant" policy which led to the Dominion (then the colony) settling the Native troubles without the assistance of British troops, and the accompanying meddlesome interference by Downing-street in local affairs. Surely, if some thought be had to the traditions of our country, in which we take pride, we should hesitate before inflicting more pain upon the granddaughter and great-grandchildren of one who helped to make such traditions possible.—l am, etc., 8.8. Wellington 20th June.