RETURNED SOLDIERS AND THE PRESS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 305, 20 September 1919, Page 7

RETURNED SOLDIERS AND THE PRESS

Sir,—Atths last general meeting of the R.S.A. the Press was moro or less insulted by one or two members. Their remarks were supported more or less (chiefly.'.the latter) by a minority section of those present. The majority ' was strongly opposed to the utterance of such remark's. But right .through there was a eoiisousus of opinion ..that the returned soldier was not being given fair'play by the Press. It is more thaii probable that not one paper will admit ' this feeling to be justified. But is this point of view quite wrong, and are the Wellington papers fair and just with regard .to recent happenings?- Have they thoroushly examined this supposedly preposterous claim of the deputation : to Parliament? Have they taken the trouble to publish,what other colonies and America have douo for their soldiers? They have not. Instead they take great pains to prove that tho Government is just and generous. . Various paragraphs from U.S.A.. officials deploring the attitude of the deputation are given prominence. Highly reentered citizens of the "Ardent Admirer of True Manliness" typo use your columns to air their views, and their views are not exaotly friendly towards the soldier that has "played up." Tleonoinical experts show bv close and unsound arguments, which the "Digger" does not understand, that a ruined country, would be the only result, of acceding to such unreasonable demands; The average Digger does not Mimic this Government a very generous one, even after reading your evening eon temporary's recapitulation of its efforts and expenditure on his behalf. He cannot but remember that it took many weary months to convince the powers that be that tho wife of an early-to-go Bigger was entitled to the same treatment as the wife of a lnte-to-go: The former cherishes other grouses, too, which makes him sceptical of the Government's generosity. Ho remembers the methods of the Second Division League, which also was sceptical. Members of that 'league came in for a fair share of abuse. The returned soldier is not being abused by the Press, but certain of his actions of late have been placed in a light which he considers unjust and which gave rise lo very bitter remarks at the meeting referred to. .

The story of "the breaking'of Parliament, windows is known lo have been done by one man alone, who afterwards duly paid the damage. Instead of stressing this.fact, the papers continually use the "plural," and have consequently "conveyed' the impression, all over New Zealand that nn unruly and disorderly mob of hooligan's straggled" up to (ho House, broke windows, and insulted Ministers and members.. That such was not. the case all those who saw the -profession <lo- testify. • The ordinary "Diyger" is not a student of economies; he does not ■know whether (he country can afford to give away JH.i.OOO.uOO or not. He does, howevpr, think he knows what he sees, and ho sees thousands of people riding in .luxurious cars; he sees (ho shops selling every conceivable article at some-, times inconceivable prices,' and be knows that, if he is to secnr> a seat in a thpatro or piclure hall he must go very early or miss tho bus. Tie thinks that if the war had lasted another year this stale of things, in spile, nf. the .expenditure entailed, would havo slili- been Madly the. same. .'He ■ hns'.'jumped : up ,<tnd demanded mule-a large slice of this apparent, wealth on account of hardships endured and opportunities missed. He hoe been a little naughty, perhaps very naughty, but is he for lliis to havo the public's cold and unsympathetic eye turned towards him and'be contemptuously dubbed "Bolshevik" and "hooligan"? If this is happening, is he an en- . tirofy deluded mortal when he blames tho Press?—l am, etc., '.MISCREANT. fff our correspondent h.nd troubled (0 read our comments on recent haniienings iiv local U.S.A. circles he . would have seen that we have consistently pointed out that it was a noisy and irresponsible minority which, by its actions, ■ was bringing discredit on returned soldiers and alienating public sympathy. Tho fact that the. National Government at, times lagged behind nithlio. sentiment, in its treatment '.of soldiers and their dependants has been stressed often enough by this journal and may afford some ground for distrusting the generosity of the present Government, bttt.it does not justify unreasonable ' demands or such rowdiness as was' indulged in by a section of tho men who took tiart in the- deputation to Parliament. Moreover, most, though not all, of such grievances as'existed in the pest have been remedied, and the New Zealand, soldier t<vdnv, on the whole, is at least as well, if net better, provided for than .the . soldier, of any other country. Whether this will hold good when the question nf gratuities is settled we do not to know, but as the decision of the Government will be .announced to-day any doubt on that point will scon be cleared awny.l