RACIAL BITTERNESS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LI, Issue 16921, 30 December 1925, Page 9

RACIAL BITTERNESS.

AX ELECTION CIRCULAR. . FEELING AMONG SETTLERS. ECHO OP THE LATE WAR, SYDNEY, Dec. 17.—A week or .so before I lie uate of Ihe federal ejection a circular which appeared in the Hume electorate aroused much comment. Purporting to bo signed by three settlers of German descent, who had been interned during the war, it bore the caption, "Lest VVe Forget." It was scut to settlers in the electorate mainly round Albury arid Holbrook, which before the war was called German ton, and called upon this section, who probably number about, 2000, to vote against . the Nationalist and Country I'arly candidates owing to the policy adopted by the Nationalists during I he war. Bad feeling was immediately engendered among Ihe settlers of (leiman descent, many of whom looked upon the circular as an attempt to stir up racial hatred for the political advantage of tin; Labor Parly. As Mr Parker Moloney (Labor) lias such a strong hold on the; electorate, the circular made little difference to the result of the poll, but it has had a curious aftermath. The three signatories were Messrs. H. A. Paech, O. E. Heppner and E. G. Wenke. The last-named has .since denied in n letter to the local press that he had any share in the circular. The other two stuck to their stateuienls. Pnech is a retired grazier, living at Albury, and has a large personal following. Like his father, ho is Australian-born. He was recently .elected a councillor of'the Culcuirn Shire. Heppner also sought honors at the recent local government elections, and was returned unopposed for a riding of the Hume Shire. Three councillors, who were returned unopposed for another riding, thereupon announced their intention not to take their seats tit the shire council's meetings at which any of the three who had signed the circular were present. LABOR FLOCKS TO MEETING. This immediately fanned the flames of bad feeling, created during the Federal election, into life again. A meeting of protest was convened at a township near Albury for last Saturday night by a committee of German descent and prominent landowners of the district, But Labor rallied to its election time friends, and they flooded from all the surrounding centres to the meeting place. When the meeting opened Labor supporters and sympathisers of the objects of the meeting—to protest against the circular—were in equal numbers. The Labor supporters immediately took charge of the meeting, and vigorously hooted the conveners when they appeared on the platform. Paeeh was among those present and he harangued the chairman (Mr. Lindnerj continually. (!0 NCLUSION IN DAR KN ESS. There was only one policeman present, lie was unable to control the Labor supporters, who proceeded lo elect a chairman in spile of Mr. Lindner's protests against the use of the hall by any except those' who had paid for it. As soon as the Labor chairman approached the platform he was struck in the face, and a free light ensued. The Labor contingent rushed the stage, but further disturbance wiis prevented by the police officer, who informed the Labor chairman that he could not occupy the platform. The Labor chairman then took charge of Ihe meeting from the body of the hall. Left in possession, the Labor contingent proceeded to carry a resolution eulogising the "Lest Wo Forgot" circular, and affirming that Labor's opponents had distorted tlje meaning of the circular to foment race hatred. Then someone turned off the gas, but undismayed the Labor advocates continued their harangue in semi-darkness.

Mr. Lindner afterwards stated that the mooting he convened was intended to convey an impression of allegiance to the King, support of British institutions, and a sincere wish for the cultivation of happy and trusting relationships between people of German descent and those of British stock. Albury's little war is creating widespread interest.