Direct Challenge is Issued by Mr. Vaile

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 716, 16 July 1929, Page 1

Direct Challenge is Issued by Mr. Vaile

MUSEUM CONTROVERSY WILL PRESIDENT’S ACCUSERS REMAIN SILENT? Having waited vainly for a reply from those who sought to saddle him with the responsibility for certain alterations afi the Auckland War Museum, Mr. H. E. Vaile, president of the Auckland Institute and Museum, has issued a direct challenge. Will this be ignored by Colonel T. H. Dawson, ex-president of the Returned Soldiers' Association, and Mr. A. S. Bankart, chairman of the Citizens’ War Memorial Committee? If they reply they must explain away Mr. Vaile’s evidence, published in The Sun and supported recently by a letter from the Curator of the Museum, Mr. Gilbert Archey. If they do not, Mr. Vaile is confident the public will accept their continued silence as proof of the justice of his cause.

On July 2 The Sun published the greater portion of e o r r e s pondeuce that passed between Mr. Vaile on the one hand and Messrs. Dawson and Bankart on the other. At a meeting of the R.S.A., Colonel

Mr. H. E. Vaile Dawson had stated publicly that Mr. Vaile was responsible for “extras” and alterations at the new museum. When Mr. Vaile requested a retraction of this statement, Colonel Dawson refused, and named Mr. Bankart as his informant. Mr. Vaile applied to Mr. Bankart for a withdrawal of an attack he considered both unfair and supported byinaccuracies. He received no satisfaction from either of his critics, so he placed the correspondence before the public. Mr. Bankart replied by referring to a letter written by the museum architects purporting to discuss the responsibility for certain alterations, and asked that it be published. His request was complied with, but he made no further move.

As the architects’ letter named Mr. Archey, the curator wrote correcting many statements contained in it. In fact, his letter was practically a categorical denial of every assertion and implication made by the architects. No reply to this was made by either Colonel Dawson or Mr. Bankart. Now Mr. Vaile has made the final move, convinced that his critics must either state their case, withdraw their attack, or, by their continued silence, admit defeat. Mr. Vaile’s direct challenge addressed to the editor of The Sun is as follows: —• Sir. —■ Some time has elapsed, and we have heard nothing more of my alleged "inaccuracies.” I do not know whether it was for electioneering purposes or not, but certain it is that Messrs. Bankart and Dawson have published statements which are without any foundation in fact. They make no attempt to prove or withdraw them, and as they are so anxious about the cenotaph, I will give £IOO to that object if they can prove to the satisfaction of the editor of The Sun, or any other reputable citizen, that the non-provision of any war memorial feature is directly or indirectlv attributable to the museum or to me. If they neglect to accept this offer it must be apparent that they cannot substantiate their statements, and my account of the position must be accepted in its entirety. Would Colonel Dawson have any objection to my sending a copy of this letter to i every member of the Returned Sol--1 diers ' Association 7 E VAJI<a