Von Luckner’s Visit

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19597, 31 March 1938, Page 16

Von Luckner’s Visit

Sir, —I agree with the views expressed by several of your correspondents in connection with the visit of Count von Luckner. This German is undoubtedly a courageous and chivalrous gentleman, and we respect him as such, but at the same time as loyal to his fatherland as any Britisher to Britain. What surprises me is the way he is lauded and welcomed throughout New Zealand. He is the responsible representative of Germany, whose policy is openly antagonistic to the British one, and therefore a potential enemy of Britain.

I£ there is any mission other than that of goodwill in von Luckner’s visit to the Pacific, he is probably the most capable man in Germany of fulfilling it. It seems to me that many of us are labouring under a twisted sense of British fairness and the least we can do is to show by our lack of interest in his lectures that he is not welcome here. —Yours, etc., NEW ZEALANDER.

Sir, —I was very interested with the letter by “One Who Has Seen” re von Luckner’s visit to Gisborne and pleased to know that we have someone in Gisborne who is not afraid to speak his mind, as I witnessed one incident myself as we were proceeding to the Dardanelles, and that was the sinking of the Royal Edward by being torpedoed with 2000 British troops on board, and not one life was saved. — Yours, etc., “EN-ZED.”