THE CASE OF MR. VON ZEDLITZ

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 257, 25 July 1919, Page 8

THE CASE OF MR. VON ZEDLITZ

Sir-I should be thankful for space in you 'paper to make a few remark? ■ ab*u the case of Professor von Zedhtz. It ems to me" incredibly unfair that *e should continue to persecute-that unfotuimte man after all he has gone through. He has keen severely punished aheadj lor what others, not he, have done, and it is most nngentlenmnly and un-Brmsll to hurl brutal epithets at him, such as "an appointee from among the ranks of 'wolves of Kultur'." Mr. Pereiral Wnddy says in his letter of July 24 that Professor von Zedlirz has never renounced his German nationality, but perhaps he will do that gentleman the justice of callin" to mind a letter, published in the New Zealand Tress by Professor von Zedlilz Himself, in which he said: lam not a German subject, and I have no allowance to Germany.". The professor has'Hved with the British people most of his life-ever since the age of eleven; he was educated at Wellington College, LVlnnd, and afterwards at Oxford Dm. ver"itv, and it is absurd to suppose hat I a man with such an educational htslory could be imbued with anti-British pullTrail to eay next that the question of forgetting the iulmiwun Ooriii.iii atiocities is not quito relevant to the case. Of course, we do not forget them, and "e hould be wrong to forge them in Z i far as it is our duty to always kee.f before us a definite demarcation between. I,,"principles we uphold and those we detest; but in a future generation ot Germans, when (he Germans themselves will be bitterly chained of this chapter in their history, they may rightly ckim our recognition to their brotherhood, not, o emirs?, until then. But therein lies soinethins rck-vnnt to the rase of Profe«or von Zodlitz. Everyone who knows him knows, and entertains no doubt at all that he is as far removed from sym-,,-itliv with-German inhumanity and dishonour as that future generation of Germans of whom I speak. And since lie is an honourable gentleman ot whom anv country might be proud, it is dasiardlv to attack him so cruelly. The fact that no British man could wet an appointment at a German uiiiversilv has nothing to do with the case. Germnii hatred is responsible for that, and it is precisely this German hatred of us that is 'IKe worst feature of their character, and the one we have always scorned the most severely; yet we give ivav to violent bursts of rage against n man who is not only innocent, .but who has, before the war, given this country many years' faithful and honourable serV 1 am not, Sir, by this letter taking sides in the matter of reappointing Professor von Zedlitz to his former position. I am simply endeavouring to say, in the most emphatic way possible, that whatever course is adopted, we should be British, and do what, we do decently. It is, of course, British enough to be stupid, but there is no reason why we should add unkind remarks to our stupidity, and if we come to Hie conclusion that we cannot allow Professor von Zccllitsi to Iμ reinstated in Victoria College, then let us say so in a decent manner.

I iim not n pro-German. I am a tcturned soldier, and British to the backbone, having twice served my eonntvy in- wartime, and 1 shall be pleat-pd '\< disclose my identity to anyone who ta-F; the (rouble to ask me.—l i»«i. etc., ',' KEASOXABLE. ■