DABGER OF PANIC DENIED

Taranaki Daily News, 9 June 1931, Page 6

DABGER OF PANIC DENIED

influence of veronica men “OVER-STATEMENT OF POSITION.” REMARK QUESTIONED AT NAPIER. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Napier, June 8. “I have noticed in the Press a paragraph concerning the P r “ e r n * atl °“ * 0 Commander Morgan, of H.M.S. _ ica, in recognition of the services or himself and his men in Napier during t e earthquake,” remarked Mr. VW u. Barnard, M.P. for Napier, when speaking in Hastings on Saturday night. “This presentation was made by tne Governor-General, Lord Bledisloe, he continued, “and according to the paragraph Lord Bledisloe made the statement that, but for the presence and prompt action of the commander and his men, there would have been a serious panic in Napier. “No}v I want to say here that that remark is overstated,” said Mr. Barnard. A voice: “I think so, too.” Mr. Barnard: “I am satisfied that there would have beeh no panic in Na--1 pier, even if the Veronica had not been there.” A voice: “Or anywhere else.” Mr, Barnard: “You must remember that Napier was a town of 16,000 inhabitants at that time, and the total of men on the Veronica was not more than 100. All of those 100 were not in town, for obviously some men had to stay on the ship. So to say that but for the presence of 00 or 70 men there would have been a panic is untrue. I have no intention of belittling the extremely fine work done by the men of the Veronica, the Diomede.And Dunedin, but I want to say that c* Napier stood up to that tragicvß:3< aster in a most remarkable way, andmr» a manner which has reflected the greatest credit on them.

“I take this first opportunity of sayin • that there would have been no panic in° Napier even if the men of the Veronica had not been there, and the more one thinks of that disaster the more one feels reason to be proud to be a New Zealander, and in particular to be a resident of Hawke’s Bay.”