OFFICER AND PRIVATE

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 August 1920, Page 5

OFFICER AND PRIVATE

ALLEGED DRUNKENNESS,

MILITARY J U STICE.

PARLIAMENT HAS DOUBTS

(Special to the "Star.”)

WELLINGTON, This day. A case,which has formerly taken up public attention was reviewed in the House to-day when the Public Petitions Committee reported in regard to the petition by TI. H. Thompson who was convicted by a court martial in New Zealand and served 93 days imprisonment .on a charge of knowingly making a false statement regarding the sobriety of a captain. The* Committee recommended Thompson’s petition for redress to the Government’s favourable consideration. Air,. Dickson (Chairman of the Committee) mentioned that it had reported favourably to' Thompson . last Session but the Government did nothing. He regarded it as a serious case of injustice. Air. Veitch strongly condemned the system of military court,martial which provided for an officers’ tribunal to hear a-charge by a private against an officer .In this case Thompson charged .Captain Ho top with drunkenness and whether he was mistaken or not it looked as if the officers stood together to protect a brother officer. Air. Young: A conspiracy to protect a Captain and condemn Thompson. Air. Veitch : I would not like to say that, but if you say so, I won’t contradict you. Air. Isitt declared that petitioner was victimised through a mistaken idea that it was the duty of officers to protect a fellow officer. Various members discussed the reported character of the two principal parties concerned and the Minister for Defence promised to look into the case” having in mind what he had heard in the House. The Committee’s recommendation was adopted. (Thompson was a private in the Records Office at Featherston Camp and was called up for medical examination to ascertain his fitness for active serv-ce. Dr. Ilotop was the medical officer who examined him and he was found Fit A. by the doctor. Thompson subsequently alleged that Hotop was not sober and he refused to retract his statement with the result that ho was courtmartialled and sentenced to imprisonment. He intimated to the Star’s Wellington correspondent at the time that ho would have repress. Sometime later Dr. Hotop’s wife secured a divorce on tho grounds of habitual drunkenness.