RETURNED SOLDIERS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 276, 18 August 1919, Page 6

RETURNED SOLDIERS

DOMINION EXECUTIVE'S REPLY TO AUCKLAND. The executive sub-committee of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association has considered the Press statement made by Mr. E. 1 , . Andrews in explanation of the attitude of the Auckland committee. In its opinion Mr. Andvews's statement consists uminly of irrelevancies and inaccuracies, and'is in-' tended to completely 'cloud the real issue, winch is simply that Auckland has exceeded its constitutional powers by acting in a high-handed and flagrantly disloyal way. As the Auckland Association thought fit to magnify a relatively small question of internal management into the dimensions of a serious dispute, and to make the disagreement public through tho columns of the Presß. the Dominion Executive—in justice to itself and to the whole of the 32,000 returned soldiers throughout New Zealand to whom it owes its authority and is responsible—was . forced to issue a statement of the real facts of the case. That statement stands. The Dominion Executive, while regretting the necessity for-its utterance.'has no need either to" add to or subtract from it, and certainly does not .intend to be drawn into a Press'controversy on the subject, which will be dealt with in a constitutional manner.