Journalist Replies to Prime Minister's Attack

Chronicle (Levin), 2 July 1949, Page 5

Journalist Replies to Prime Minister's Attack

WELLINGTON, UAy L ' . 'Mr H. R. G. Jeflerspn, cditpr qf " News-Report,l ' has senf a letfpr tq ■ the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, rpp lying to Mr Fraser 's'referenccs t.q Mr Jetferson during. the .- debate in the House of Representativ.es on W.e, dn.esday night.- The letter states: -- "You are reported as having said 1 was a noted.Gomm-unist.iournalist.iu Fleet Street, Londoh." ' This is quite un true.; Several -years before the may have- wrxtten for the Djiily Worke1' at the same time, and no doubt for the same reasons, as did Sir Stafford Oripps and- Mr John Strachey. Since ,1939 my Fleet Street emplqyers have been Reynolds News, the official paper of the eooperative movement, Daily Mirror an.d Daily Express. I don^t think I was ever partieularly noted as - a journalist, being sub-editor, and in union affairs where I played a fairly active part, 1 quite often' disagreed ■ with the Com- - munists as with' other members. Yo.u stated that when 1 cameto Ne-w4 Zealand 'I negotiated With at least oue member of the' National Party, that 1 stared § "pappr tq attack the Labqpf movement an,d men like Mr F. B. Walsh and that some members of the National Party had taken sh',arps ,in the company. What are the facts? "I came to'New Zeajan.d for healtii rpason's and b.e.eahs'e of ' my*admifation for the cpuntry, I negotiated with aii ' sorts of peopl.e, including Gq,bouj M.P.;'ti I fhought was, p.ee§; ior an |nd^-» pendept newg maggkine in. this. cpflutry and managed to raise fhe' smalj eapital from' about | dozen ppo.ple, some of whom are qnite favonrabfy disposed towards the Labour Party, *Iq any cas.e ■ they leave the policy to me, I thpught | my h.andling of Fiiitan Patri.ck WaN'1 1 was objpctive and appurate. I am not eoncerned with attacking the labour movement but with flnding out the fa.cts an.d, dpfending, as far as 1 can, freedom of speech and opinion. My politieal .qpipi.qns afje my owq an(^ niy own business, flow.fiver, tq spare jthe Communists of this country any embarrassment, I will admit I am pot uur have I been a member of their party. Frankly, I don't think they like me very mueh. I need hardly poiftt out that as the result of your priyileged statement, newspapers have been enabled to publish with impunity the aBegatiqns about me which would otherwise have I resulted in libel aetions. " !