"RESIGN!"

Evening Post, Volume XCII, Issue 76, 27 September 1916, Page 8

"RESIGN!"

A GERMAN MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT, i (rROJI OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) SYDNEY, 20th September.' One of the members of the Federal Labour Party is Mr. G. Dankel, representative of Boothby, South Australia. Mr. Dankel, was born in Germany. It is i only natural that some people protested, against what seemed an extraordinary anomaly of a man of German birth sitting in secret and other sessions, of -the national legislature engaged in the duity of framing plans for the prosecution of the war against Germany. The Prime Minister and the rest of Mr. Dankel's colleagues in the.party let it be understood that they were .quite satisfied as to his loyalty as a. British and Australian citizen. But (this did nek of course appease all fears. A meeting of electors of Boothby was held the other night to consider Mr. Dankel's position. . A motion that Mr. Dankel be asked to resign was declared earned. Amongst the speakers were some who said that whilst they admired Mr. Dankel greatly, and ware glad .to call him " friend," they nevertheless thought. that in the circumstances he ought to resign his seat as a'member of tho Commonwealth Parliament. He would thereby best serve the country. Sir. Dankel, who had been congratulated on attending the meeting, and ■was received with a display.of personal goodwill, mado a statement, in the course of which he said that if half of the electors of Boothby desired it he would resign. He said also that he' had been waiting for months to put his case before the people of Boothby. None of them could love Australia more than he did. He had left Germany forty years ago for military reasons, and had about a year after his arrival in Australia secured his denaturalisation papers and absolute divorce from the land of his birth. If he were ;in Germany at present^ he would be liabfe; to internment, like any other British subject.