ANTI-RECRUITING CIRCULAR.

Otago Witness, Issue 3313, 12 September 1917, Page 26

ANTI-RECRUITING CIRCULAR.

DISSEMINATOR SENT TO PRISON. AUCKLAND, September 5. Ar, the Police Court to-day, Murdoch Alexander M'Rae, aged 31 yean?, was charged with publishing a statement likely to interfere with recruiting, in that lie sent a circular entitled "A Good Soldier"' to th.o harbourmaster at Rawene. M'Rae admitted sending the circular, which was anonymous and impressed on the reader that to be a good soldier was the lowest aim in human life, and held out, a specific warning about signing attestation papers. Chief Detective M/Maiion stated that- defendant, who was a fanner from Marerctu, near Waipu, had been under surveillance, and had been found to be circulating the letter mentioned. When his house was searched a quantity of literature of the fiery kind usually associated with I.W.YV. people wa.s found. Mr Frazer, S.M., after perusing the document, remarked that it missed its intention if it did not interfere with recruiting, and said ha could not see any difference between this case and others of the kind that had been before him. Defendant would be sentenced to 11 months' imprisonment, without hard labour.