DEFENCE NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 787, 9 April 1910, Page 14

DEFENCE NOTES.

L'AFFAIRE KNYVETT.

(Br Eobeloh.)

Up in Auckland, F Affaire Knyvett continues to follow the noisy tenor-of its way, though the latest news.from the north would seem to indicate that the Auckland public is growing rather tired of it. In a telegram from Auckland on Wednesday last, the special correspondent of The Dominion prefaced a reference to the matter with the remark that he ; "could discern a lessening public interest" in the case. About three weeks ago, the writer, while on a brief visit to Auckland, made a few inquiries concerning the then condition ot the Knyvett agitation, and adding the result of his investigations to his own knowledge of the facts of the case, formed the opinion that much of the trouble was due -to the attitude of the Auckland press, which apparently had-adopted a policy of following public opinion rather than attempting to mould it, and had been content to add fuel to the fire of discontent, which smouldered in the midst of a particular few, taking no trouble to arrive at a judicial conclusion as to the merits of the case. It is only now, months after the incident which led up to. the agitation, that sane counsels appear to be beginning to prevail. In the acute stage of the agitation, representative men like Messrs. Parr and Leyland, big men in Auckland, were publicly identified with the case. Mr. Parr presided at the big indignation meeting m Auckland .some time ago; Mr. Leyland was a member of the deputation which came down to Wellington to.interview the Prime Minister (Sir Joseph Ward). Both these men, ™ e ' writer was informed, have no. withdrawn their active support Another point: Mr. Knyvett was an officer of the Garrison Artillery Volunteers in Auckland-. If any wrong had been done to him as an officer, would it not be reasonable to suppose that his brother officers in the division would support him, sympathise with .Inm," Here, if anywhere, one would hottest. The wnter.had a long conversation with Major W. H. Hazard, one of the senior officers of. the divihvX^ll and " was assu "d cers of tb ' f - a - r ' aS tho -senior, offithey had no sympathy, with the Knyl f P rr^ + Wn ' • ajor Hazar<l ti»n referred -to an incident which occurred the Auckland "Herald":—

Sir,-Now that the Knyvett case is I thin? a h W With , th ? "' K Tibkct will ? ™ rds from me « *>«• suoject will M t como amisg _ In the.first place, the public generally lose sight of the fact that SsEe must be maintained, whatever thecflrt ;or else in. the hour, of need ™aS find our citizen soldiers amero rabbk and. instead, of singing the songs of victory we sha]l W eep ß tear S - 71 tte°

indiscreet there is no manner of doubt I have, discussed the question with the emor officei-s and they agree S ml that there is no such thing as demo-' ike rank heresy, but it is fact neverr oi - d no Wef'for Colonel geutlemans superior as a soldier. To my nund-ho ranks with the military men.ofao Empire. lam and,'lrknow ; .what.a' v ßm talking - about. . UptaiwrEnyveti has committed an: indiscretion. He is a young officer, and tor, that; reason I am inclined to he lenient with him. Let him but admit his error, withdraw, his ill-timed letter, " nd I for.one will see that he is reM stored to his former position.' ' Thero is a silver lining to every cloud, and f ui sure , tha * ont ° f the present trouble muck good will come.' The unfortunate young officer has met justlyearned defeat. Let him,not despair, but, like.the good soldier and man I know he is, admit his fault, and I feel sure that a long and honourable career is before him.

In conclusion, I-would urge that all officers, young and old, sink -all personal feeling, and work for the good of the force, even .to the Docketing' of their pride and submitting cheerfully to.the will of their superiors. (Signed) WILLIAM H. HAZARD, Major, "O.C. Division. , P.S.—l hope I have not prevailed too much upon your space. Kindly insert this to-night, . and oblige.—(Signed) W.H.H..

The letter was a forgery. On perusing it, the editor of the "Herald," who was personally acquainted with Major Hazard, suspected something wrong, 3nd upon communicating with thai officer discovered that it was of spurious origin, although the signature was a clever forgery,. evidently executed by some person who was familiar with the signature. : The letter, needless to say,' did not appear in the "Herald." The question. immediately presented ' itself: Would not the publication of the letter have 'instantly been followed, by a' repudiation of its authorship by the victim ?| the forgery? That was inevitable.' What, then, was the motive? The only suggestion which appeared to be at'all feasible _to Major Hazard was 'that, purporting to be the opinion .of a sponsiblo officer of the garrison artillery division, the context would be wired all over New Zealand, and even if the correction followed next day, a number of people who might have seen the first letter would, .conceivably, miss the second.' The "Herald" owed-its escape to the accidental circumstance that the supposed writer of. the letter was personally known to the editor. Two years previously, Major Hazard was the victim of a-forged letter which appeared m the Auckland "Star," and which, of course, had to be corrected. The paper was successfully duped, ' and through no fault of its own. The implied sug-gestion-is that some of the" opinions which appeared m the correspondence columns of the Auckland press over pen-names, m connection "with the Knyvett case .may not have 'been' genuine, and that public feeling in that city may have been to some extent swayed by the artifices of some unprincipled persons. .