BISHOP LISTON’S SPEECH

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXVI, Issue 18438, 23 March 1922, Page 4

BISHOP LISTON’S SPEECH

THE BISHOP REFUSES TO ANS. WER MAYOR GUNSON’S QUESTION (Per Press Association). AUCKLAND, March 22. A copy of a letter sent to the Mayor has been handed to the Press by Dr. J. M. Liston, Roman Catholic Coadjutor-Bishop of Auckland. The Bishop says:— "I beg to acknowledge receipt ol your letter of aturday. I notice your Worship ’issued your “protest' before I could possibly have received your letter. Seeing that your Worship had not the courtesy, not to say the sense of fair piay, to wait my reply to your question before handing condemnation of me to the Press of Ne* Zealand, it seems to me quite unnecessary that you should have written to me at all, and it is certainly unnecessary that I should answer your question.” The Bishop, in a postscript, says: “As your Worship has made this matter public, 1 am handing this letter to the Press.”

I’.P.A. MAKES STRONG PROTEST. (Per Press Association.! WELLINGTON, March 22. Mr. George Harwood, vice-presi-dent of the Protestant Political Association, speaking at the annual meeting of the Wellington North branch to-night, attacked Bishop Liston for Friday's speech. He said Ireland stabbed England in the back at Easter 1916. Bishop Liston called suppressing the rebellion murder, yet professed to love his country aud be a loyal New Zeaander. He should love the country well enough to get out of it. The Hiberian Society at Auckland had endorsed 'Bishop Liston's action, and it was impossible to attribute the attitude to ignorance. This meant that Catholicism had dropped its mask. No apology could atone for this outburst. He considered Mr. Gunson’s attitude worthy of all praise; he was a Protestant with backbone. The following resolution was passed: “This meeting of members of the Wellington North branch of the P.P.A. heartily congratulates Mr. Gunson, Mayor of Auckland, upon the loyal and patriotic manner in which he dealt with the disloyal utterances of Dr. Liston, of Auckland.”