OLD LETTER REVEALED

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 132, 4 May 1940, Page 9

OLD LETTER REVEALED

MR LEE’S PAMPHLET. ARTICLE ON SICK LEADERS; Justification for his actions in criticising a sick leader, is offered by Mr J. A. Lee in a 12-page pamphlet issued by the newly-formed Democratic Labour Party as a.reply to his expulsion from the Labour Party. The pamphlet attacks the control of the party by trade-union bosses and denounces the Government for its failure to deal radically with banking and monetary policy. It is contended by the new party that in writing the - article which was the principal subject of discussion at the Easter Labour conference, when Mr Lee’s expulsion was being debated, he was expressing similar sentiments to those which Mr Savage expressed in reference to Sir Jose [in Ward. Extracts, are also quoted from correspondence between Mr Lee and the Leader of the Legislative 1 Council and member of Cabinet, Mr David Wilson, at the time national secretary of the New Zealand Labour Party. The references to Mr Savage’s views at the time of. Sir Joseph Ward’s illness, when the United Party retained [lower through the support of the Labour Party, are contained in a letter written by Mr Lee to Mr Nash when Air Lee was deprived of his position as Under-Secretary. Mr Lee in this letter explained that the article on “Psycho-Pathology in Politics” was inspired by reading a number of books and glancing over correspondence as lie was moving a lot of it to bis home. Among this correspondence was a letter, written by Air Savage to Mr Lee, containing the following passages: “Thanks lor yours or the 14th inst. I agree. I shall never expect to see another chance like the present. Instead of taking advantage of it we arc drifting along waiting for things to happen. This is not happening with my consent. I tried to set fire to things more than once but our fellows seemed too green to burn. “There seems to he a stupid reverence of Ward —even in this group (the Labour Party). Probably they would not admit this, hut it is there. The reason for withdrawing that amendment is easy to explain; Harry must move something. That, of course, involves us in putting up our hands, or, as an alternative, making an orderly retreat. On that occasion the Government, made it easy for. us, for the time being at least, by promising a definite statement when Ward returns to active service. “The present is the greatest tragedy that has ever been put over the people of this country. Ward is sheltering under the Red Cross while the remainder of the United warriors are proving their incapacity. To call them humbugs is to [iraise them. To think that the illness of one stupid old jackass is. sufficient for holding up everything is heartbreaking, but -that is happening. ‘You must play the game,’ is the popular cry. Last week we were promised that. AVard would be sufficiently recovered to make an appearance and now we are told he will turn up to-morrow. In the meantime we are expected to ‘play the game.’ Henry thinks we should . . .” There the quotation ends and Mr Lee’s letter to Air Nash continues: “I thought so much of the letter and its contents that I embodied them m an article. The letter is not, my phrasing-but is the Prime Afinister’s (Mr AI. J. Savage), but the sentiments are sound in every way. There is still another letter, far more specific in denunciation of parties which try to live on the mana of a sick Prime Alinister, but more of that at some other time. Roth were from Air Savage, to me in more friendly days, and 1 agreed with the contents of both and shot, my article through with quotations of both.” The pamphlet then pontinues : “Cabinet and executive knew Air Lee had that letter in which the late Air AI. J. Savage condemned humbugs who sheltered behind a sick leader, in which Air Savage laid it down that the sickness of Sir Joseph Ward w.as no excuse for allowing a Cabinet to drift while the country suffered; that cessation of hostilities was ‘not happening with his consent’.’’ After quoting the Lee-Wilson correspondence the pamphlet states: “Air AVilson called the above letter one of the most scurrilous he had ever read in his life. AATio is this. Wilson, who wants to censure the contents of other men’s minds? Air Lee s reply launched the first witchcraft trial in the history of Labour politics. His writings were accused of killing the Rt. Hon. AI. J. Savage of cancer. Air Lee has never been absent from a fight for Labour principles. He has always been in the midst of a conflict for a better New Zealand.

“Air Lee was expelled for telling the truth. But Easter, the time of vindictiveness and crucifixion, is also the time of resurrection. Lee will continue to fight for New Zealand.”