"GOD SAVE THE KING."

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16143, 22 February 1918, Page 6

"GOD SAVE THE KING."

A RED FED VIEW,

(special to "the press.")

WELLINGTON, February 21. Last night, at his meeting at Kelburn, the Labour-Socialist candidate, Mr H. E. Holland, was asked by a member of his audience if it was true that he objected to the singing of "God Save the King."

Mr Holland said that ho did not object to people singing the National Anthem if they wanted to. He would be strongly in favour of ifc being sung in some circumstances, since the King needed to bo saved from oeople who would ask such silly questions. The elector who had put the question said the answer was evasive. What was Mr Holland's personal attitude? "I have never sung in my life," said Mr Holland. "I could not sing a note if I tried. Thero is a great deal of hypocrisy, about many of tho references to tlie King. People who come along to me and shriek, 'You are a pro-Ger-man,' and then ask if I sing 'God Save the King,' see m to forget that the King is of German descent. I have nothing against the King because of that." Mr Holland added that the time was coming when there would be DO .Kings. Those who were most vociferous now in shouting "God Save tho King" were those who put their hands deepest into the people's pockets m search of war profits. "Personally I I think tho King is a fairly decent sort of person." he added, "but he does not come into this fight at all. lam perfectly satisfied that people should sing God Save the King,' because he needs to be saved from the people who would ask such a question as that at a political meeting." Mr Holland added that the attitude of the Labour Party had been made perfectly clear. He was entitled to ask why the man who put such a question was not in the trenches helping to 7,5, , instead of talking about singing "God Save the King." Tho questioner attempted a personal explanation, but was ruled out of order bv the chairman, who said that tho whole, subject was irrelevant to tho question before tlie meeting.