UNFORTUNATE AFFAIR.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16154, 7 March 1918, Page 6

UNFORTUNATE AFFAIR.

ENGLISH VISITOR ARRESTED.

A gentleman with influential connexions at Homo, who recently paid a v.sit to New Zealau.l in rc-speot to the export ot hides, was upon his arrival in Chrisiclnirch in receipt of a cablegram from a t onnexion of his tiini serving at. the I rout, asking for tho remittance of a Mini of money. Tho cablegram further ask oil the recipient to interview the parents of a New Zealand friend of tho sender's, and ask them to cable £20 to their son. The gentleman made enquiries, and ascertained that the Now Zealander's people lived in Worcester street. Linwood. He saw the mother, and was curtly advised by her to interview the father who was in business at Lyttelton. To this course the gentleman agreed, and before proceeding to his ship waited upon the father and showed him the cablegram. He was immediately conlrontod bv a third person in tho ro;>m, who stated that he was a eonstable in plain clothes. The policeman is alleged 10 have immediately arrested the English visitor, despite his protestations, and to have ignored tho lattrrs j-equest to inspect his passport and to interview the captain of his ship, a person who c.uilil easily have proved that ho was an accredited representative of tho British Government. He was lodged in the Lyttelton lock-up without further ceremony, and as his ship was due to sail in a few hours tilings looked black for him. Fortunately his friends in Christchurch heard oi' his predicament and they immediately cjnimunieato.l with tho authorities, who ordered his release without further delay, while the constable is stated to have been severely reprimanded by his superior officers. The victim of the unfortunate ephode. who is now on Jiia way back to England, has been iD the> habit, of keeping open house for New Zealandeis at Home and entertaining theni royally, luU he now declares that, considering the manner in which he was treated en his fi:>t, and he hopes last, visit to the Dominion, he will never entertain a New Zealander again.