ILL-ADVISED QUESTIONS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2585, 6 October 1915, Page 3

ILL-ADVISED QUESTIONS

ABOUT ALLEGED GERMANS. A strong protest was made. by the Minister: of Defence (the Hon. J. Allen) -in the House of Representatives yesterday against the making of publio statements in Parliament by: • members regarding the nationality of persons em-, ployed in the service of tho country or in the military forces without care being first-taken to'ensure the accuracy of tliO'allegations or suggestions made. Tho matter arose out of a' question put to the "Minister during the afternoon sitting of the House by Mr. R. Fletcher (Wellington Central), who asked if Mr. Allen was aware-that a quartermaster at Trentham, a man named Ruess, was a German; whoso uncle, a prominent man of that nationality, had been . ii.» terned in Sydney. Mr. Allen promised to look.into the matter, and referring, to it in the evening. he said that, as tho, result of i inquiries, be had found .that Ruess; was born in -Auckland, where he was connected for some years with volunteering and with tho Territorials. His father-was born in Manchester and his mother in Wales. <■

"I think members should be more careful and considerate of theso men," continued Mr. Allen, ;"in bringing such : statement's publicly, before the commun-. ity by. making them iii the Hous'e/ We arc watching; those 'men; and .Ruess would not have been sworn in unless he was a citizen of thoEmpire.lregret that anything should be nttaohed to his name that nught be detrimental to him as a soldier or-in his private capacity.. If a member-has a suggestion of this, kind'to make he should communicate with me directly. . "I-was asked the other day a 6imilat question by,Dr..Thacker, who tabled an, inquiry regarding the nationality-' and past military career of Adjutant Flohr. Lieut. A. A: E. Flohr was a lieutenant in the ; 2nd East Lancashire Brigade of Field Artillery, from-August, 1900, to September,' 1908, and is. shown in the Imperial Army list as having; passed for the rank of captain in 1902. : He was borh in England. His father was born in Italy, and his mother wa6 an English woman." Mr. Allen concluded by reiterating -.his "request...that members,' of Parliament should approach him privately with suggestions oi the' kind to .which ho had referred. : ' Mr. G. J..Anderson (Mataura): Iliere would be no advertisement if they did ' that! : •' ; /