MR. FRASER PREVARICATES.

Hokitika Guardian, 10 May 1918, Page 3

MR. FRASER PREVARICATES.

I (To the Editor). I Sir, —\\ r £ have noted the climb-down ; of the Rev. P. B. Fraser in this even- , i ing’s issue. The pointed-questions put i to him in the Editorial footnote, will if fairly answered by the Rev, Gentleman, dispose of the soldier question '' once and- 1 for all, vindicating as it will the action of the paper in championing the cause of the young man who was made the subject of the attack. But Mr Fraser in his letter on Tuesday last had a reference to tho proprietary of this paper. About the middle of last century there was an impudent, meddlesome person delineated on the comedy stage oj England named Paul Pry. Mr. Fraser appears to have emulated this historic '"character by prying into our private business. He led up to the matter by the following paragraph, which more than one man in tho

street has called “a dirty insinuation.” i ‘‘But your sinister action has raised another even more vital question, and it cannot well be argued out in your columns. I therefore intend to write the Government, in view of the dark and cloudy days ahead in this Dominion, t as elsewhere, to take steps to prevent the most loyal press in the world, the press of this Dominion, which has done such yeoman service for the Empire in the past, from being penetrated by German influence and German gold. You will search the press of this Dominion for a parallel

to the dirty and unpatriotic action by which you seek to subdue public men into a grovelling silence on the public - N platform to the German element in this town.” We suppose that very few readers of the Guardian would misunderstand Mr. Fraser’s intended meaning, when lie refers to “the German influence or German gold” being used to get a hold on this paper. Incidentally, we would ask him on what ground he seeks to sug-

gest this paper sought “to subdue public men into a grovelling silence.” This paper commented temperately, and as the sequel has shown very rightly, on Mr Fraser’s intolerant remarks, and has it sought to muzzle him in any way at all? .He had the free use of the columns, and lie was given free opportunity to explain himself. But like many other intemperate letter-writers, he wrote too much for tho good of his own cause.

To proceed. The paragraph from Mr Fraser’s letter which appears abov is made plainer to the average reader, by the next paragraph written by Mr. Fraser, wherein lie appears as the Paul Pry of the hour! Mr. Fraser wrote: — “I have examined the documents in

tho Supreme Court covering the ownership of the Guardian and Times Coy and I intend to send the facts to the Government. It raises the whole question of the possibility of German penetration, control, and ownership of •the'- Press of this colony. I refrain from saying more. It is another large question and will not be settled by the patriot who inserted the

German menace to a loyal citizen, and wrote the grovel to the estimable Germans. Both would read well in the trenches. I hope he will forward a stack of them to the New Zealand Brigade.”

\ Here we have confirmation as to where comes this “German influence or German (gold,” and whom Mr. Fra sec is stabbing at so covertly. It'is not any business secret to the banking and commercial people of the town that Dr. Teichelmann bad the mortgage over tile West Coast Times building and plant. Ho had it before the war, end when the two local papers were fused, the mortgage was merely transferred to the names of the new proprietary. Dr. Teichelmann bears a German name (and one he has not disgraced) and is an Australian by birth. Ho is well known, and something more than respected throughout the district, and we ask Mr Fraser to leave, it to the heads of the local bodies of the district to decide how far Dr Teichelmann may bo classed a pernicious German ; or may be regarded as influencing German opinion. He volunteered for active service, sacrificing his local practice. He served abroad with distinction; was promoted from Surgeon-Captain to Surgeon-Major, and after risking his life on the high seas returned home, cordially received by the. whole coni' inanity. Much more might be said bn this aspect, but we await- the verdict of the tribunal we have referred, if Mr. Fraser is prepared to abide by their decision. ■'

Before passing on 3 to Mr Fraser's latest effusion, ’there is one sentence in the latter paragraph quoted above wherein the Rev. gentleman refers to “tlio patriot .... who wrote the article of grovel,to th 7 estimable Gormans.’ This invidious reference to our Editor wo resent because Mr Fraser's lan.

guageis couched in terms intended to be personally insulting. There is no occasion to question the patriotism of our Editor, and this again we leave to the constant readers of the Guardian who must have noted the outspoken remarks at all times in our leading columns when dealing with all questions involving loyalty, or the maintenance of law

and order. Now we turn to Mr Fraser’s reply published in to-night’s second edition. Accepting Mr Fraser at his own osti- < mation of himself, that is. that lie is | ultra-British, must wo take it as a compliment where he suggests our Editor should go to England to air the British war aims? Was there ever so weak a reply! The great and mighty dreadnought which swept the seas two nights previously and “dealt freely with a situation of its dwn creating, turns out on being driven on a lee shore to be but a-puny. trawler out on a prying expedition which has failed ignore i'nously. Hence the feeble joko about British war aims—the sacred cause for which our men are laying down their lives hour by hour on the “stricken fields” of Europe. Shame on you Mr Fraser, you who profess so much about the end of the "war whiplp can comc only when the war aims . of Britain, America, France and their Allies are realised. Finally. Sir, Mr Fraser presents this prevarication of his statement two night’s earlier relating to “German influence and German gold,” and tries to extricate himself from the horns of the dilemma on which the Guardian criticism as placed him, by tho following concoction which is not after the manner of Paul Pry on this occasion, but more in keeping with the writings of one Tom Pepper. Here is Mr Fraser’s latest “explanation.”:— “I have no comment to make on your effort to inflame the public mind about the local doctor. Every one will understand that he is sacrosanct with you. As I novel' made any attack on him in public or private, your wooful indignation indicates your own feelings, not any appreciation of the issues I raised.” , Wo may leave Mr. Fraser at that. We are. etc. GUARDIAN & TIMES COY LTD. D. J. EVANS. Chairman of Directors Weld Street, Hokitika, May 9th.