R.S.A. DISAPPROVES

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVIII, Issue 21576, 12 February 1940, Page 10

R.S.A. DISAPPROVES

CIVIL SERVANT’S CRITICISM OF BRITAIN By Telegraph—Press Association HASTINGS, February 10 The Waipawa and District Returned Soldiers’ Association unanimously passed a resolution expressing disapproval of an address given at Napier by Dr. A. Reif er, plant research expert employed by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives (the Hon. W. E. Barnard) presided at a meeting of the Napier branch of the Labour Party, when Dr. Reifer, who is a Pole and a Doctor of Science of Brunn University, criticised Britain’s foreign policy, saying that Poland before the German and Russian partition was already being oppressed by a regime no better than that of Hitler. He also alleged that Finland constituted a menace to Soviet Russia, which was only defending itself against the imperialism of the capitalistic States. The resolution reads: "This association deplores the fact that Dr. Reifer, a civil servant, should be permitted to give public talks which, in the opinion of this association, are definitely detrimental to the Government recruiting campaign, and regrets that Mr Barnard, a returned soldier, should be giving Dr. Reifer apparent support.” The association further resolved that the attention of the Minister of Agriculture (the Hon. W. Lee Martin) be drawn to Dr. Reifer’s activities.