SIR M. MACKENZIE AND THE BERLIN CORRESPONDENT OF THE TIMES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9082, 16 June 1888, Page 3 (Supplement)

SIR M. MACKENZIE AND THE BERLIN CORRESPONDENT OF THE TIMES.

It was from the first obvious that the Times' Berlin correspondent did not enjoy the confidence of Sir Morell Mackenzie ; while his reports frequently quoted papers like the Cologne Gazette and the Kreutz Zeitung. The following correspondence, which has been sent by Sir Morell Mackenzie for publication, will explain what was hitherto not so clear.— FROM THE CORRESPONDENT TO THE DOCTOR. "1, Margarethen-strasse, April 17, 1888. " Dear Sir, —Enclosed is my telegram to the Times of Sunday night. I need not say that, before reproducing that report in the Cologne Gazette, I should have preferred consulting you as to its accuracy, so as to bo able to place it before our readers weighted, if necessary, with corrective or destructive criticism. You deprive me, however, of tho means of rendering you such services. But as truth and fairness arc, and must be, my sole principle of action, I take this further and last opportunity of repeating that, where reputations and national honour aro concerned, I am 'still always at the disposal of you and your English colleague.—Believe me to be, very truly yours, " (Signed) Charles Lowe." •' Sir Morell Mackenzie, Charlottenburg." FROM THE DOCTOR TO THE CORRESPONDENT.

" Kunigliches Schloss, Charlottenburg, April 17. " Sir,—From the beginning of November till March you thought you would best serve your interests by pleasing 'the military party' in Berlin, and you therefore systematically depreciated me in your telegrams to the Times. This you did by invariably quoting attacks on me which from time to time appeared in the anti-English section of the German press, and never alluding to favourable articles, by constantly endeavouring to prove me wrong, and by ignoring the devotion of my colleague, Dr. Mark liovell, to his august patient. " When, contrary to your expectation, the Crown Prince bocamu Emperor, and I arrived nfc Charlottenburg in attendance on His Majesty, you thought it would suit your interests better to be friends with me, and accordingly wrote me a letter of congratulation in which you said, ' I place my services at your disposal.' I, however, decline to receive you. lam not surprised that since then you have continued your former conduct.

"On Sunday you telegraphed long extracts from the Kolnisehe Zeibung and Kreuz Zeifcung which are highly damaging to me and my English colleague, bub you omit to point out that these attacks proceed from papers which for years have systematically attacked everything English. You arc perfectly aware that tho ordinary Englishman knows nothing of tho politics of the Kdinischo Zoitung on the Kreuz Zeitung, and had ' truth and fairness' been tho Hole principles of your action, you would certainly have called attention to the Chauvinistic character of the newspapers in which the attacks have appeared against your countrymen. If you have such tender feelings as you now claim ' where reputations and national honour are concerned, you would certainly have ' taken a further and last opportunity' of offering your services to mo beforo telegraphing tho disgraceful attacks and lies of the so-called patriotic press, instead of first publishing them and then giving mo the chance of ' corrective, and destructive criticism. . Further, many of tho Berlin newspapers have corrected the absurd and injurious statements contained in the Kolnische Zeitung, and had you any regard for'national honour' yon would telegraph extracts from these papers. Instead of which, in the hope of getting news from me in the future, you attack me and then olTor me the opportunity of vindicating myself and my English colleague. I havo already refused to yield to your flattery, and I decline to give away to your threats. "I have only to add that many friends, and even perfect strangers, both in Berlin and England, have written to me expressing regret that a paper so highly esteemed as tho Times should be so unworthily represented in this city. With this opinion 1 entirely agree.—l am, Sir, your obedient servant;, " (Signed) Morell Mackenzie."