"NOT PERSONAL"

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 71, 21 September 1943, Page 6

"NOT PERSONAL"

MR. DRUMMOND'S REPLY

In a statement to. the Press today Mr. Clive Drummond replied to Mr. Holland's references (as published in "The Post" on Saturday) to his broadcast. v.' . "Mr. Holland is endeavouring to create false sympathy for himself by stating that I reviled him personally, and that my statements, to use his words, were 'a tissue of deliberate falsehoods.' ■ That, I suppose, is Mr. Holland's' idea of not indulging in personalities. He has chosen to deliberately misquote me. In exposing the Goebbels technique adopted at most of the political meetings, I state something which, is a plain and demonstrable fact.' Why/ at one of the meetings which were broadcast, there was even a musical accompaniment provided for the singing of For He's a Jolly Good Fellow.' At another meeting the speaker was ushered into the hall with the playing of bagpipes. Mr. Holland makes a great fuss about the issuing of tickets. I repeat that the issuing of tickets is, or was until I raised the point, a widespread practice. I did not accuse Mr. Holland of doing so. But I repeat, and this fact must be evident to everyone, that the Goebbels technique is being largely exploited by both par-, ties. The idea is essentially- that of creating a false atmosphere. I repeat that this is employed by both parties. "Mr. Holland has chosen to ignore completely my definite charge concerning the alleged freedom .of National Party candidates. He claims that —and I use his own words: 'We have given to every member complete and absolute freedom to vote on any question according to his conscience. He says: 'The outside domination of Parliament shall cease.' This, as I can prove, is quite incorrect. He himself admits that candidates are pledged to vote with the party on a no-confi-dence motion. How can members be free, if they are pledged to vote on anything which the leader—Mr. Holland —chooses to .call a no-confidence motion? How can they be free if they are pledged to the glittering promises that Mr. ■Holland calls a policy? How can he say what his candidates will do if elected if they are free to vote on all measures according to the dictates of their consciences? More even than this, I say that the National candidates are pledged, in writing, to obey the dictates of the National Party organisation. I have actually quoted the pledge which cannot be denied. These questions I raised before. Mr. Holland chose to evade them by attacking, me in an attempt to win false sympathy, for himself."