A TERRITORIAL'S FOLLY.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume VI, Issue 340, 27 January 1917, Page 7

A TERRITORIAL'S FOLLY.

IVHEN ANGERED BY THE GIRLS. RETORTS WITH DISLOYAL TALK. The charge against Frank Bennett (24), a carter, who was charged that on January 11 he uttered a statement indicating disloyalty, was heard before Mr. F. V. Frazer, S-M., at Auckland on _Thursday. Following on the evidence that defendant. on being asked by two young women when he was going to the war. replied that he supposed he would have to go presently, and then proceeded to declare I that the men who went voluntarily were fools, who would get no thanks, and that German rule was as free as the rule in this country, the defendant testified a practical admission of the language. He stated, however, that he did not himself believe what he told the girls, but in the heat of anger at what he took to be an unjustifiable suggestion that he was shirking, he took that way of endeavouring to shock and annoy the girls for their unwarrantable interference. Captain Titchener and Lieuts. Bull and Alc- , Dermott, of A Battery Field Artillery, gave evidence that defendant had been in the battery, first as a volunteer seven years ago. and continuously ever since,, that he was an efficient and enthusiastic member, and had never given the slightest sign of disloyaltv in either private or military life. They also stated that fie was a man who was not ready of retort, and not able to express himself fluently, so that they were inclined to the opinion that, having no gift of sarcasm with which to meet the girls’ attack, defendant conceived the folly of hitting back by making statements he did not really believe in order to deliberately anger the young women. His Worship said that the statements indicated disloyalty though the evidence of military officers showed these were not his real views. They were made to annoy the girls, but they were a breach of the law, and they were made in a serious manner in order to impress them on the girls. Disloyalty was a thing that spread like an evil weed, and it was very necessary that nothing should be done to promote the growth of the evil. Consequently the war regulations were very important and necessary, and any breach of them had to be regarded as serious, even though, as in this case, the breach had arisen out of foolishness. Defendant had already been locked up for three days, which was a Severe lesson in itself, and in addition he would be fined £2 and 23/costs.