EMPHATIC DENIAL

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20094, 14 November 1939, Page 7

EMPHATIC DENIAL

BITTER ATTACK ANSWER TO MR. NASI _ LEADER OF OPPOSITION AID IN WAR EFFORT OFFERING CO-OPERATION (Pi*r Press Association.) HASTINGS, this clay. “Mr. Nash has so far forgotten both the responsibility of his own position and tile true facts of the subject he is discussing as to make a venomous attack on Opposition members ol Parliament on the subject of cooperation.” stated the Leader of the Opposition, the Hon. Adam Hamilton, in a statement last night in reply to the assertion by the Minister of Finance and Marketing, the Hon. W. Nash, that the Opposition had debased its offer of co-operation in the war effort by a continuance of political work.

"Not only was Mr. Nash's statement spiteful and untrue," said Mr. Hamilton, "but lie made il when he had had in his possession for some weeks a letter from me pointing out the falseness of a very similar and equally vicious attack on the Opposition made in the official journal of the Government last month. Because this is a subject of such importance to-day, I owe it to the people of New Zealand to make tiie true facts known.

"The Opposition offered co-opera-tion in the initial stages of the crisis which led to the declaration of war. and that offer of assistance in any war effort was gladly accepted by the acting Prime Minister, the Hon. P. Fraser. However, within a very few days Mr. Fraser stated clearly in the House that political co-operation with the Government was not sought from the Opposition. Fair Indication "He went so far as to tell the Opposition that very contentious and purely political measures.. would be introduced within a few weeks, which would undoubtedly be resisted by the Opposition. Nothing could have been a fairer indication of what was expected of the Opposition than that. “Those political measures implementing the Government’s policy of State socialism were duly introduced after the declaration of war as indicated by Mr. Fraser. The principal ones were the Reserve Bank Amendment Act and the Marketing Act, than which there has been little more revolutionary and objectionable legislation. These Acts were deliberately introduced under the very first cloak of war.

“It was these instances of taking advantage of a national emergency and anxiety that outraged public opinion from one end of New Zealand to the other. Was it any wonder? “It is a blot forever on Labour’s record. No attempt by Mr. Nash to twist tiie truth will wipe it out. Labour Organisation “The next event in the chain dealing with co-operation was a statement published in the Government’s official journal that the Labour Party organisation must not be relaxed in any way; that, in . fact, any tendency to slacken must be avoided.

“Mr. Nash’s statement that each Labour member of Parliament was advised to cease campaigning was just another example of sham. Mr. Nash knows, as does every person in New Zealand to-day, that ever since the declaration of- war the LabourParty has intensified every party effort and capitalised every difficulty to its own party advantage. “Every radio station blares out Labour propaganda. Even Mr. Nash himself has become the party radio propaganda star, making one political talk after another in the effort to excuse and camouflage his Government’s disastrous policy.

“In every publication the Labour Party movement has preached non-co-operation since the war started, carrying the attack so far as to make direct personal attacks on the National Party, together with definitely anti-British statements. Violent Attack “Scarcely had the House risen than the Government’s journal made a violent attack upon the Opposition in a featured article accusing the National Party of obstructing the war efforts, deliberately attempting to associate our names with profiteering and sabotage, presumably based on the same propaganda basis as Herr Hitler’s 'big lie’ ideas.

“As soon as the article was published 1 wrote to Mr. Nash, as acting Prime Minister in Mr. Fraser’s absence, and asked for an explanation tor the baseless attack. He ultimately sent me a reply carefully avoiding the point I had raised, slating that he could not give an opinion himself. “I have repeatedly drawn the attention of the Government to other subversive propaganda. I drew attention to threats by Mr. Arthur Cook, of the New Zealand Workers’ Union, to farmers. I drew attention to the propaganda from the Government radio station, both national and commercial, headed by the controller, Mr. Serimgeour, who talks every Sunday urging the overthrow of the capitalist system —the British system.

Anti-British Propaganda

“I drew attention to direct propaganda by various sections against assisting Britain in the war. “Nothing is done to stop this kind of breeding ground for dissension. Actually it appears to have official approval in many cases." declared Mr. Hamilton.

“The Opposition has a responsible position in the governing of New Zealand and the people are not in a mood to-day to tolerate such attacks as Mr. Nash has made upon the Opposition. “I would like to conclude by stating that the Opposition has received no co-operation of any kind from the Government. Since our first offer I j have received no more information than any member of the public, nor have I in any way been in any different position than I was as the Leader of the Opposition before the offer of co-operation was given. In spite of this, members of the Opposition and the National Party are putting every bit of their support into the war effort as apart from the political field. The Government cannot deny that, or the great assistance it has received from our people.”