APOLOGY MADE

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVIII, Issue 21553, 16 January 1940, Page 4

APOLOGY MADE

Mr Lee’s Attack On Prime Minister Party Assured of Loyalty By Telegraph—Press Association WELLINGTON, January 15. At a meeting of the National Executive of the New Zealand Labour Party held at Wellington on Saturday last at which all members of the central executive and divisional area representatives were present with the exception of two, the following resolution was passed: “That the National Executive places on record its complete and emphatic disapproval of Mr J. A. Lee’s articles in the December 6, 1939, issue of ‘To-morrow’ and of the disgraceful inferences and innuendoes contained therein and declares Mr Lee’s action to be a definite breach of party loyalty and deserving of the severest censure and condemnation. Further, the National Executive reaffirms its complete confidence in Mr Savage as Prime Minister and congratulates him and the Government upon the manner in which the party’s policy has been implemented.” Mr Lee gave an assurance that he would, in future, comply with the decisions of the National Executive and the annual conference of the party and also undertook to issue a statement apologising to the Prime Minister. In a statement to the newspapers, Mr Lee said, in regard to the recSht article he had caused to be published in “To-morrow.” that on consideration he had decided to say publicly he regretted having published the article, which was ungenerous and hot fair to the Prime Minister, and he was sorry that the inferences of the article had wounded the feelings of anyone. “The greatest need of the time,” he said, “is a united and strong Labour Government, and while, with every member, I have a voice ih helping to shape Labour's policy, I want to assure everyone of my loyalty to the Government and i-iC party.”