UNFORTUNATE AFFAIR.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 4817, 14 March 1918, Page 3

UNFORTUNATE AFFAIR.

ENGLISH VISITOR ARRESTED. A gentleman with influential connexions at Home, who recently paid a visit to New Zealand in respect to .the export of hides, was upon his arrival m Christchurch in recc pt of a cablegram from a connexion of his firm serving at the front, asking tor the remittance of a sum of money. Tho cablegram further asked tho recipient to interview the parents of a New Zealand friend of tho sender’s, and ask them to cable £2O to then- son. The gentleman made inquiries and ascertained that the New Zealander’s people lived in Worcester street, Lmwood. lie saw tho mother and was curtly advised by her to see tho lather wi.o was in business at Lyttelton. To this course the gentleman agreed, and before proceeding to his ship waited on tho father and showed him the cablegram. He was immediately confronted by a third person in the room, who stated that he .was a constable in plain clothes. The policeman is alleged to have immediately arrested the English visitor, d'csp'te his protestations, and to have ignored the latter’s request to inspect his passport and to interview the capta n of the ship, a person who could easily have proved that he was an acciodi;ej representative of the British Government. He was lodged in the Lyttelton lock-up without further ceremony, and ns his ship was due to sail in a. few hours things looked black for him. Fortunately his friends in Christcirarcfi heard of liis predicament and they immecliate-y communicated with the authorities, who rijjcrcd his release without further delay, while the constable is stated to. have been severely reprimanded by his superior officers. The victim o-f tho untotunate episode, who is now on his way hack to England, has been in the habit of keeping open house for New Zealanders at Home and entertaining them royally, but ho now declares that-, considering the manner in which he was treated on his first, and he hopes last, visit to the Dcm'nlon. he will never entertain a New Zealander again.