ROYSTERERS’ PRANK

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6812, 16 January 1929, Page 8

ROYSTERERS’ PRANK

The Innisfail Incident

ITALIAN CO A T-OF-AKMS TAKEN

MUCH ADO ABOUT LITTLE.

SYDNEY, Jan. 10.

There is a feeling that Australia was unnecessarily humiliated by the nature of the abject apology which the Prime Minister, Mr. Bruce, forwarded to Italy as a result of the foolish prank at Innisfail, when two youths removed the coat-of-arms from the Consular-Agent’s office. How simple the whole affair was is indicated best by the statement made by the police inspector when two youths were charged with the offence. Tho defendants, who were aged 17 and IS years respectively, gave themselves up to the police when it seemed likely that the most unlikely thing—international complications—would follow. They sai'd that on the night the incident occurred they had been “knocking around” the town together, and being Christmas time they had a few drinks. They then eonccivcd the idea of removing certain people’s property. They removed signboards from several business premises, and seeing the' Italian coat-of-arms outside the National Bank, they pulled it down and carried it away, and erected it on a flagpole in another part of tho town. After that they removed several signs from other places. No Insult Intended.

The inspector said that, the defendants had assured him that they had not the slightest intention of offering an insult to the Vice-Consul or to Italy. As a matter of fact, they did not know that the sign was the Italian coat-of-arms. They thought that it was an advertisement connected with tho bank. The magistrate took a lenient view of the affair, which, he said, was duo to the folly of two young men who had taken drink. He merely bound them over to bo of good behaviour.

It is felt in the circumstances that while an apology might have been duo from Australia, there was no necessity for such a humbly-worded communication as that forwarded by Mr. Bruce. Tho whole affair created a disturbance that was unjustified by its importance,and it seems remarkable that it should have developed into almost international complication. There arc many Italians, even, who resent the action of their own Consular officials, and their views are expressed in the ItaliAustralian, a weekly journal published in Sydney. Comment by Journal.

“Let us say at once,” said this Italian journal, “tnat. it is a source of great regret to us that so much should have been made of tho incident the reporting of which, in tho terms it. was reported, could do nothing else than disturb tho happy relations between the Italians and the people of Australia. It is almost needless for us to say that had the incident any true international significance we should have been the first to show resentment of an action that could reasonably be construed as an insult to the Italian flag, and, incidently, to the people who arc striving to maintain friendly relations with the Australian people. “In the face of facts, as reported in responsible newspapers, we are confident That the perpetrators of the outrage? were absolutely innocent, of any wish td hurt the feelings of the Italians, and that in their stupid prank tliev idd not realiao the significance that might be placed on their action. Wo cannot say how deeply wo deplore that Italian Consular authorities in ‘doing everything that it was their duty “to do’ should have seen fit to take any action that might endanger the good relationships between the Italian people and Australians. “Wo believe that the matter could have been dealt with in an unobtrusive, but, nevertheless, effective, manner, by simply reporting it to the local police, and insisting that there should be no recurrence of the regrettable incident.”