ALLEGED SLANDEROUS STATEMENT

Otago Witness, Issue 3338, 6 March 1918, Page 7

ALLEGED SLANDEROUS STATEMENT

(From Oub Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, February 27. In his campaign to secure the Wellington North seat Mr Holland has been at pains to show cause for his hatred of what he calls militarism, and among the horrors of war he has named venereal disease. He has talked incessantly on this subject, mentioning it at every meeting, with the evident object of instilling in the minds of women with sons and husbands a loathing of war and everything pertaining to it. So he hoped to win support for his anti-conscrip-tion plank. At a meeting of women only, which he addressed on Tuesday afternoon —a meeting to which male reporters were not admitted —Mr Holland appears to have gone a little farther than usual in his talk on this subject. Mr Massey has received a letter from a lady, the wife of a soldier, ,who was present at the meeting. This lady—a woman who must be believed —writes that in the course of his address Mr Holland, referring to venereal disease among the troops, stated that a woman (lie gave the name), well known in Christcburch, who has been interesting herself in the problem, had suggested the organising of licensed houses, and had said that for this purpose she would require relays of girls from New Zealand. Mr Holland is reported to have stated, also, that this woman was working under the New Zealand Commandant at Sling Camp, inspecting prostitutes. From this ho argued that if the lady in question was working under the New Zealand Commandant, it must be with the knowledge and consent of the National Government. Mr Massey hastens to arrest this slanderous statement: "I wish to say," ho said to a reporter, "that I know nothing of this woman's movements, and I have received no communication from England on the subject, but I am confident that she is not working as has been suggested under the New Zealand Commandant; and I can say definitely that she. is not doing so with the knowledge or consent of the National Government. The relatives and friends of soldiers may- therefore make their minds easy about this question, . I look upon the statements not only as a gross libel on New Zealand soldiers, but also as a libel upon New Zealand's fair name. I have said before that the statements that have- been made regarding tho prevalence of _venereal disease amongst our troops are infamous lies, and I repeat that now. It is exceedingly regrettable, to say the least of it, that this sort of thing should be used for electioneering purposes." CHEERS FOR REVOLUTION. Mr Luke's meeting last night was opened, as many meetings are in these days, with the singing of the National Anthem, and the people as a matter of course, stood and sang, but there were a number of men and women who would neither stand nor sing. They made up an inconsiderable percentage of the great audience, but there must have " been at least 100 of them in different parts of the hall. Mr Massey more than once used such ugly words as traitor in taking notice of interruptions from these people. When Sir Joseph Ward was speaking, he made use of the word "revolution" in speaking of what might _ happen in this country under certain circumstances, and at the mention of the word "revolution" this element in the audience cheered frantically.