CONDEMNED UNHEARD

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20170, 13 February 1940, Page 7

CONDEMNED UNHEARD

MR. BARNARD COMPLAINS WAR VETERANS’ VIEW OFFER OF EXPLANATION (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. The resolution carried by the Waipawa Returned Soldiers’ Association expressing regret that the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Hon. W. E. Barnard, M.P., for Napier, should be giving what it described as “apparent support” to an address by Dr. A. Reifer, plant research expert employed by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, is replied to by Mr. Barnard in a telegram dispatched to-day to the secretary of the association.

Mr. Barnard was reported to have presided over a meeting at which Dr. Reifer criticised the British foreign policy. Mr. Barnard’s reply to the association is: “I regret that your association was so eager to condemn unheard a fellow returned soldier and feel that something less than pure patriotism inspired your resolution. May I refer you to my statement, published in a Hawke’s Bay newspaper on February 8, which, strangely, you appear to nave overlooked.

“If desired, I should be pleased to accept an invitation to address your members and explain what was said by the principle speaker at the meeting presided over by me and also my own views. Meanwhile, in view of the publicity given to your resolution, 1 am handing a copy of this reply to the press.”

A message dispatched from Hastings on Saturday stated that the Waipawa and District Returned Soldiers’ Association unanimously passed a resolution expressing disapproval of an address given in Napier by Dr. A. Reifer, a plant research expert employed by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research.

The Hon. W. E. Barnard presided at the meeting of the Napier branch of the Labour Party when Dr. Reifer. who is a Pole and a doctor of science of Brunn University, criticised Britain and her foreign policy, saying that Poland was already oppressed by a regime no better than that of Hitler. He also alleged that Finland constituted a menace to Soviet Russia, which was only defending itself against the imperialism of capitalistic States.

The resolution adopted by the Waipawa R.S.A. read: "This association deplores the fact that Dr. Reifer, a civil servant, should be permitted to give public talks which, in the opinion of this association, are definitely detrimental to the Government’s recruiting campaign, and regrets that Mr. Barnard, a returned soldier, should be giving Dr, Reifer apparent support.”