THE KNYVETT CASE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 716, 15 January 1910, Page 4

THE KNYVETT CASE.

..The';large/meeting at;-. Auckland , last .evening to. protest "against 'the', 'dismissal/of .Captain .'KinrmT.-from, the/defence: forces/.ma'y be taken,;;as : 'strong.;- ",; of:': -the popularity ./.of/,the'/'officer.i in /qiibs- ; tion///It,;may;; also/betaten/as/af-i: iording/'.prppf - that; the'/manner, in which;'the/.'inquiry //was/.' conducted 'did .not/meet with public:, approval. We';.: have, already /-/expressed /ohr; ppinibn//on;; this /:latter-'ppint-4he; .conduct ] of proceedings/ at, the'/.inquiry, did; riot' reflect credit ■: on'/the: Court.'/ Atjthe;same*time.the merits of the/case were/plain; onbugh./;: The .letter-/'of/ Captain// Knytett.; : was /'plainJy:;..ohe'-';ithat;'- : sliould /.not /have been, written,, /and .if'/.discipline/is to bepresorVecl. in bur; defence' forces such: actions' cannot: be,tble'rated/for/ ;a_ moment..:.We;are on the eve;of a visit, from/one-'of the -forombst-mili-' tary . authorities /of./the 1 tainly.'bne/.of the, organisers 'and,.administrators /of our. times'—and it is -.not/'difficult to what, ho-would think of the/ spectacle'crcated,.by/the;attitude of Knyvett :' case. : "./, OaptAin -Kstveti knew, or.should-know, ; -;the conditions; of/seryicsr-he/deliberately acted: in a■ 'maiiher'; which/brought. him" into conflict 'with'thbse .conditions..:-/ It 'must be-a-' subject'/for general; re-/ grot _t.hat/ it-should be. necessary in the' intorests'of'/disciplihe'to-/dis-pense ;:with his ; .seryices.';//'But;/.thb' issue 'at stake, is a. larger .one than, the :feelings: of an ; individual offlcer, ] ; however,,: popular /.he ; may /be.' The' complaint has long been made that .discipline;,-in our /volunteer, forces has beeh tooiax^-it'would: be. the. height: of /foilv' to weaken/ it still further:by yielding to an agitation '-. which throws no new -light: on the; facts.;./ /'/:';,-/''/:////.-■:■/-:';