A RED FED. "HERO."

Sun (Christchurch), Volume VI, Issue 1735, 5 September 1919, Page 8

A RED FED. "HERO."

PRAISE FOR_P. C. WEBB. SOLDIER LEGISLATORS VILIFIED. "MAORILAND WORKER" ARTICLE. (From Onr Ofi-n Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, September 4. A clipping from the "Maoriland Worker," in which P. C. Webb, the ex-M.P. who preferred gaol to the trenches, is lauded above those members of the House who actually saw war service, and in which very grave misstatements are made concerning those hon. members, was brought before the notice of the House of Representatives this , afternoon. Mr L. M. Isitt (Christchurch North) asked the Prime Minister if i his attention had been called to the Paragraph, and, if so, what action e proposed to take. The clipping read as follows: Paddy will find when he comes out that the boys think more of him than ever. When one thinks of those other M.P.'s who pretended to go to the War, but never got near enough to smell anything stronger than rum, one must smile at the hypocrisy of these gallant warriors. Paddy was willing to die, if need be, for his principles. That is the sort of man we can depend upon, and not the loudmouthed, flag-flapping gut-robbers who would "rat" a dead dog for its fleas. Don't worry, Paddy, we, the workers, are going to put "paid" to one or two little accounts in the sear future. Mr Isitt said that, when he thought of th% price that one of the hon. members referred to had paid, and ■was paying, for the services rendered to his country, he could only trust himself to put the question in its barest terms.

"Disgust and Contempt." The Prime Minister (Rt. Hon. W. F. Massey) replied that he had seen the paragraph, though not in the "Maoriland Worker," which was one of the many newspapers which he had not time to open. He had read this item with disgust and contempt. He could not help thinking of those hon. members who had done their duty to the country. He thought of Lieut Downie Stewart, who had served with distinction, and who would carry the marks of the War to his grave. He thought of Major J. B. Hine, who had gone out early in the War, and who had returned to this country seriously wounded, shot through the lungs. He thought of Major J. G. Coates, who had come back, after serving for some years and being wounded on two occasions, with the Military Cross and a Bar to the Cross. He thought of Captain T. E. Y. Seddon, who had served •with distinction through the most awful battle of the war, PasschenHon. members: And Captain Bell. Sons of Members Killed. Mr Massey said that Captain W. H. D. Bell had not been a member of the House at the time he was killed. He thought, too, of the many members of the House who, as parents, had sent their sons, and he could not help thinking of the fate of so many of those gallant lads, whose remains now lay under foreipn' soil, but whose names would live' for ever in the history of this country. He did not think that it was necessary to set the law in motion in connection with the paragraph, although he believed that the law had been broken. The decent people of the country would treat the paragraph with the contempt which it deserved, and the best way to deal with it would be to ignore it He had no wish to mention Webb, but he regretted that a member of Parliament should have failed to do his duty and should have broken the law of the country. He hoped that Webb's term of imprisonment might do him good, and that he might come back into society a better man, with a new sense of duty. He had no quarrel with Webb. Every man was entitled to his opinion, but, when he thought of all those who had taken part in the awful fight which had resulted in the death of 17,000 New Zealanders, he never wanted to see or hear about any such paragraphs as this. He could not heln speaking strongly, because he felt strongly when such dastardly attacks had been made. "Outrage to the Country." Rt. Hon. Sir Joseph Ward (Leader of the Opposition) said that he could n>t understand how it was possible for the paper referred to to allow, side by side with its upholding of Webb, such an outrage to the people of this country. The insulting language in which the whole thing was couched would draw any man's censure.

LABOUR MEMBER'S "REPLY." By the indulgence of the House, Mr H. E. Holland (Grey) was allowed to make a statement. As its chairman, he said that the Labour Party disassociated itself entirely from the matter so published in the "Maoriland Worker." It was not part of the work of the Labour movement to attempt to discredit the actions of its political opponents. Whatever their views bf 1 been on the War, they were readv to give every credit to the men who went to the War firmlv believing that they were doing the ri«ht thing. He regretted that the "Maoriland Worker" should have followed the very bad example set by Labour's political opponents of vilifying those with whom they disagreed. (Cries of "Oh!")