ST. JOSEPH'S CONVENT FIRE.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17107, 31 March 1921, Page 7

ST. JOSEPH'S CONVENT FIRE.

STATEMENT BY BI8HO? GLEAHf.

A Meeting was, held at Auckland on Sunday afternoon to the rebuilding'of Si. Joseph's Convent, which was destroyed by fire last Week. The attendance was estimated at 8000 people. The sum of £3554 was subscribed towards the rebuilding fund. Dr. H. M< -Clertry, Roman Catholic Bishop Of Auckland, in a Speech, followed up a series of facts regarding the tire, ahd drew the conclusion that it was an incendiary one. Ifurther investigations ,were now proceeding,, and until they had been completed he was unwilling to say anything of a definite nature. However, he assured the gathering that if a tiino <#me when his duty was to speak, ha would do so in plain aild open terms. According to the Auckland N Star, On Monday Dr. Clenry made the fol» lowing statement lor publication !■«- "The general public has no adequate idea of the atrocious character of the mass of printed matter which the Gforernment found it necessary to suppross during the latter part of the war, but Which nevertheless continued in active circulation through the ibails and otherwise, and which is now in tmre* Stricted circulation, I have ft mass pf this disgusting propaganda matter in my possession, and I am to submit it to the inspection of the police, of journalists, of public. officials, and 6f the clergy of other faithsi Thesi* Vile productions make out convents to be places of phenomenal and wholesale debauchery, of callous murder, and unspeakable shame It should ho npedless to emphasise the effect which the perusal of that vile printed stuff, and of the hearing of similar platform at» tacks, are calculated to produce on credulous, ill-balanced, ahd excitable minds. We know the results of . such campaigns of calumny irt the convent burnings or wreckings that took place in the twO Charlestons and Philadelphia in the United States, and at various places in Canada, and (not to mention I other in Belfast and Pprtnttfeigh in Ireland. It is ft significant circumstance that this incendiary fire at Grey Lynn Occurred the night after a meeting which was a small part of a campaign flgaitlst convents. It is not improbable that the destruction of the Grey Lynn convent was accomplished by someone with an ill*bftlaticed mind that was inflamed by the agencies that I have already mentioned, it is not at all tinlikelv that the person Who perpetrated that outrage may, after a while, seek to compass the destruction of the other convents in and about the City • and, as they nre mostly of wood, and occupied by many sisters and boarders, there may ensue sonous loss ot lite as well as loss of property. In view Of all the Circumstances of the case, I have felt it my duty to direct the at* tention of the Minister Of Justice to the dangers arising from these inflammatory attacks upon the consecrated flower and gloir of our Catholic woman* hood, and requesting adequate police protection. In the meantime a large reward is being offered for evidence leading to the conviction of the offender, and arrangements fti* m hand to provide gtiafds at night for the various convents.'' _