THE CHAMPION CASE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 74, 21 December 1918, Page 8

THE CHAMPION CASE

Sir,—ln your issue of to-day you report that the Defence Department has given an emphatic denial to a statement alleged to have been made by myself that the wholo of the papers in the case against Lieutenant Crampton at Samoa hud not, been submitted to the Magistrate who conducted the inquiry into the Wanganui Detention Barracks allegations. A reference to your own report of my speech will show that I diet not make the charge which the Defence Department has hastened to reply to. My charge was that tho statement given to the Press by Sir James Allen did not contain all the facts relating to Oampton's trinl at Samoa, and 1 challenged the Government to make available' to the public tho evidence given nt the. trial, including Crampton's own admissions. Incidentally, in referring to tho Ministor's reference to the fact that the Magistrate's report contained no comment on tho Simioan incident, 1 invited the Government (o say whether these admissions had been placed before tho Magistrate, but. 1 made no charge. Will the. Defence Department permit myself or any other person interested in this c;iso to pninse tho papers submitted to tho Magistrate? Finally, why did tho Department rush into priut to deny a charge, that was never made, wfulo tho Minister remained silent concerning the real charge?—l am, etc., H. K. HOLLAND. December 20.