Godley's Reply.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 2, Issue 27, 8 September 1911, Page 7

Godley's Reply.

Mr. Robert Hogg is in receipt of the following letter: —

Headquarters, N.Z. Military Forces,

Wellington, Aug. 17, 1911

Sir, —In reply to your letter of the 14th inst., I have the honour to inform you that the position of myself and my Imperial Staff officers in this Dominion is that of experts lent by the Army Council to carry out the settled policy of the New Zealand Government, in regard to defence. I have nothing to do with the rights and wrongs of the policy of the Government, and neither I nor my officers are at liberty to give any expression of opinion in public on. this policy. I have never done so in any of the speeches I have had to make and my public utterances have been confined to an endeavour to explain how the provisions of the Defence Act can be applied with the least possible inconvenience to all concerned.

A copy of your letter and this reply have been sent to the Acting-Minister of Defence, to whom I lhave the honour to refer you should you wish to pursue this question. —I have the honour to be, sir, your obedient servant,

• A. GODLEY, Major-Genera], Commaniding N.Z. Forces. An editorial on the foregoing appears elsewhere.