PROFESSOR VON ZEDLITZ.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2564, 11 September 1915, Page 12

PROFESSOR VON ZEDLITZ.

Sir, —Your leading article of the 3rd ' instant, the day on which you printed . .the letter of Professor voa Zodlitz, calls v.; for some comment. Professor von Zed,:f' 'life states that ie owes no allegienco ■v to Germany, and you proceed with the .r 1 discussion apparently on the assumption that the statement is untrue. You further assume, without disclosing one tittle of evidence, that Professor von Zedlitz has imparted, and Svill continue ! to impart "some inherited or acquired ideas and ideals to lis pupils.". Surely , one little fact, one word or act should bo adduced before we should be invited ;•. to discredit and dismiss a man who has held with distinction 1 for .fifteen years ' an important and'a public position. ;; You prefer, however, to attack under *; cover of a generality, and it is that gen- ■ •••' erality which seems to me to. bo more { * pernicious than the assumption which .'J everyone acquainted with the facts knows to bo -utterly false; You say "i-tlmt tho -Prime Minister'took the pro-, "per .point of: view when lie said that A'.'neithei:. in-..university, colleges nor in. ■>' public, schools is -'it desirable that un.iv' iiaturalised '.'enemy subjectß should .con-, v.ifv i,tmuS'i'to. . give": instruction. to'.the .'. youth and cliildrcn'-or Nev. - Zealand." Tho : ;'«;;reply would be a self-evident platitude if. v..'wo were/.not at,war, for.it is obviously i,lv-desirable, the end of education being a proper; attitude, towards truth, K.r'that; wo should ;seek; -truth -with open minds, and from all sources.- Foreign .V.s' - infliiences have given life-blood to every ; university/worthy.of.; the -name. The

leason' for appointment can never bo r-'-f nationality, it must always be character - - aDd ability. To suggest that national-: '';.;V-ity raises a presumption' against character in tho face of direct evidence conr ■ iteming t-lie individual is not worthy a . -leader of thought, though.it may pass muster on political- platforms. Nor • r does there seem virtue in tho British precedents. Great Britain has very -.widely availed herself of foreign teachers in her universities; The numbers must be large, and the presence of ' a >hostile element'in 1 the population lias proved itself a .real'danger. If it could be shown that enemy subjects %■■■ were a national menace in New Zealand the proper'cpur'se -would certainly be the internment' of enemy subjects with-eut-Exception. '' " ' WV havo >no need,' • however, to be . high-minded or broad-souled about Pro-fesMr;-yon': Zedlitz:' ' A little accuracy, justice, and knowledge is all that is required.—l am, etc., EREDK. A. DE LE MARE. ■ ■ • Hamilton; September 5, 1915.;' '

Sir,—Permit me 'through your //columns to publish a report of proceed- ■ i ings. 'which took place at a meeting, in quite recently. Perhaps the :, .Yictom'. College • Council - will bo able a similar method 'of dispensing • Tcith the services of Professor von Zoda htz, and perhaps the Professor himself the-point. The chairman commenced:—"Our - next' business, • gontlemon, is the appointment of a • 1 director. As you will have seen from the report, in ordinary course Dr. D ■fcomes up for rc-electiOn at to-day's-S/inceting^. I have just- got a telegram * from him, and I think I.- cannot do tlia-vi" read it. He wires mo: 'Am ....laid up since several days with heart'at;";."tack, and cannot'attend to-day's meetAlso been unable to arrange pro-«-.poser aiid seconder.—l).' In the ordinary course I think it is my duty to ask if any gentleman present desires to "propose, and if there-is another to second; Dr.- D 's re-election. "Mr. A. B. asked if Dr. D was a : German.

1 ''The; chairman-replied that he was, \ and?bnVor two of theboard expressed i themselves" as being opposed to tlie'rc.«ielection:. X' "The chairman:; The ".-feeling of the "'"hoard has been—and' I would like "to: E state it very frankly—that we'regard 1 ■ ]> D— — as a gentleman who is a . valued and esteemed, colleague and who . has been, so at all times in this company. an individual every, member of the " board- arid, I believe, all the officials iiof'tlie company, esteemand respect and adm to Dr.. D —hut,, as a gentleman ' oxVi-Vt-he other .tide, of the, table has jiifit put it- he-is iHifortunntclj'—as lie himself would perhaps say—a German." Ho .is not a naturalised Englishman, and ■ •we have a feeling of delicacy in the present state of public'feeling against urging Dr. D- — in aiiv.way to .put.-himself lip for re-election. I will move this resolution: 'That the number of ."he, audvis, hereby reduced from,;.five;-to . reduction. to take :effcct.'fprt-h. Jt. In seconding tiis resolUiJ

tion, I beg to state that for Dr. D-—'s personal qualifications and for his magnificent work on the board I have the greatest' admiration and respect. Ho has,'-I:;,think, attended at board meetings, and.has attended every committee meeting; Dr. D , howover, being a German, we were unable to comply with. Lis request to propose his rc-olec-tioii. It is not to be expected that anv i body, being British, would tolerato any' German 011 any board, however efficient or for. any roason. (Hear, hear.) I ani of opinion that the English authorities are criminally weak in allowing not only Germans to bo everywhere about us, bait also to hold'high places in the commercial World. Other Germans should take a lead from Dr: D— : —'s courtesy and retire. 011 the Stock Exchange tho few hundred naturalised Germans have been asked to absent themselves during the war, and if Germans have not tho delicate feelings towards English susceptibilities, the .English should show their estimation of them by refusing to put up with their presence. For theso reasons,; although 1 like Dr. D personally very mueli, I feel compelled' to put- patriotism first, and beg to second the resolution. (Cheers.)" • - The resolution was carried unaniinouslv.—rl am, etc., , BRITISH.

Siiy—l - - l iiave : read all the leaders and letters that'have been written upon this case, including the defence of Victoria Collogo Councillors, and there arc ono or two observations I would like to make that seem to have been overlooked. Four of my children are students .of ■ Victoria College, and, like others of less experience, liavo caught up'some misunderstandings of'tho whole matter. Tho question is not ono of personal character or personal capabilities as a teacher. They are all, I believe, that could be desired. It is that he is a German subject in tho pay and service of the British people. :But to quote the Professor's own letter: "I am not," ho writes, "I am not a- German subject. ... It is true, being of German descent, I have a strong sentimental feeling for Germany." Against 'this." however, we have Professor von Zedlitz's statement at the French Club, three years ago, when ho was regarded as a Britisher, and protested: "No; I am a German." But if that is not evidence wo have the Professor's, own statement .over his own. signature, when the ■question, of'his being a German was obtruded by - himself to the Agont-Gcn-eral: . ; . . Agent-General to von Zedliiz: Are you going to settle permanently in Now Zealand '. 1 ■ ;> Von Zedlitz: It is my hope and intention so'to- do'! Agent-General: Well, if you do, and provo .yourself a useful citizen of Now Zealand you will be exposed to no sort of .discrimination 011 the ground of nationality.';' ' ; . ■■ ■■■■' •; Tliatwas:; New Zealand's-undertaking through the Hon. W. P. Reeves;, 'and tlio Professor himself testifies iii'hv "up till recently" tho people of New Zealand have respected even this oral bond. Wliat has the Professor done as the second part, of his undertaking? Has ho renounced Germany for Great Britain? Has he been naturalised? Has he become a citizen of this Dominion? And it was a condition that he became a "citizen "of 'New Zealand that our representative, the Agent-General, gave the undertaking that Professor von Zedlitz "would he exposed to no sort of discrimination on the ground of nationality." 1

While the Professor failed to fulfil his part "circumstances changed," and the "blow" fell, and God knows what horrors, sufferings, and devastation have been wrought by. that blow.. Yet Professor von Zedlitz says, "I have a strong sentimental feeling for Germany." We have now'a . strong detestation of Germany' and everything German. These are the changed circumstances. Realising that he Lad failed to do his part and become a citizen of New Zealand, Professor von Zedlitz placed his resignation in tho hands of the chairmail of Victoria College; and having regard to the changed circumstance's, it should there and then have been accepted. Here the council is blameworthy. The Professor knew his duty, tjio council failed to do its. It is not a; question of tho Professor, and his family starving. ' Tho pepole of New Zealand would not permit that. The position is that not being a British subject,' a..German professor, is in tho. pay and service of ' the British people ; and Professor von Zedlitz's position is at onco incompatible and untenable undor the changed circumstances.

After "the blow'' fell, Professor von Zedlitz wrote: "I am not a German subject,! ; but -lie failed to becomo a British subject during all these years antecedent to the fateful August 4, 1914. Everyone must agreo with Sir Robert Stoiit;when he says ': "The foundation of our civilisation rests on this, that the State, as such, must give praise to those who are worthy and punish those who do ill." As thero are sins of commission and sinfe of omission, tho sin of tho Professor is liis failure to bccomo'a British .subject, and therein lies the grounds for the punishment, due that omission. .Another point is this: My young people argue, as. "students of Victoria College, and, many others are in accord with this view, that if a German subject is absent from Germany ten years lie ceases automatically', to be a German, and so it is concluded. Professor von Zedlitz is 'all right, from that point of view. But that is not now the law in Germany.

By the old law a German lost, his German nationality if he resided abroad without interruption, for ten years, unless lie registered himself periodically at a German Consulate. "Under the new law, German nationality ;■ can only be lost as ,a consequence of some definite act on-the part of the individual,; such as an application for discharge from Gorman nationality. Professor von Zedlitz was a German at tho time of his appointment by tho Agent-General, when, iris nationality was considered, and he has failed to renounce it since, although tacitly he undertook to become a citizen of New Zealand. Further, German nationality is not lost, according to German law, when a foreign nationality is acquired under the laws of a foreign- State merely by reason of residence, settlement, or birth within that State, and therefore as a result of circumstances beyond the control of tho individual, concerned. Professor von Zedlitz could still claim to bo a German even if he gave allegianco to George V a dozen times.

The subtlety of the German law-maker goes/further. In order to provide for cases wliero foreign nationality is acquired to meet business requirements, acceptance of professional engagements, etc., it is laid down that a German shall not lose his nationality if hb obtain his permission to retain' it before acquiring a foreign nationality; aiid eretnf Germans-lose their nationality'' from whatever cause, they and their children; can recover the nationality of Germany;; and be granted direct German Imperial : witliout returning to Germany, even if they havo meanli'Jiilo acquired' a foreign nationality. It is impossible to imagine what has been dons bv enemy , aliens under this law in 'British territory. Your readers, will realise) the danger, and the authorities ndw realise the danger, of entrusting Germans with responsible-positions in any British- country. •

But with respect to Professor von Zedlitz, everyone in Now Zealand would havo been satisfied if, knowing, his origin aftd enreer, and accepting- him oil his own expressed, intention, to the Agent-General, he Had fulfilled his then expressed intention "to settle permanently in New. Zealand," become a British subject-, and a citizen of this Domiuioiij. while yot he had time and opportunity, while "the blow"'had not yet :fallen, and while the circumstances remained unchanged. For the loss of his that « the inevitable re*

suit of his sin of omission, the fault is entirely the Professor's. —I am, etc., J. D. SIEVWRIG FIT.