ASHMEAD BARTLETT.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 December 1915, Page 4

ASHMEAD BARTLETT.

NEW PLYMOUTH PATRIOTIC COMMITTEE. CRITICISES A JOURNALIST. A THREAT TO WHIP HIM. CLERGYMAN TAKES UP THE CUDGELS. A critic onee waxed sarcastic on * way-back journal which took upon itself the duty of insisting that a certain European Monarch should refrain from intervening in an international dispute which had arisen, remarking? that when his Majesty King read the —— he would no doubt see the folly of his ways. Mr. Ashmcad Bartlett, the notable journalist and war correspondent, was in grave danger of having his brilliant career as a war correspondent and newspaper entrepreneur rudely shaken by the New Plymouth Patriotic Committee lust night, when a motion, censuring him for his recent articles was proposed by the acting-chairman (Mr. C. Carter), but the Rev. A. 11. Colvile came to Mr. Bartlett's rescue with a spirited defence, and eventually the motion was withdrawn., So Mr. Bartlett has been saved a whipping front New Plymouth, and, unlike the European Monarch, he will be able to pursue his way undis-. turbeil.

The motion which Mr. Ourtor proposed was: "That the New Plymouth Patriotic! Committee voices its strong protest against the indiscriminate transmission of views to the Pnmiuoii as per Ashmead Bartletl's cabled statements, belittling the war operations at theDardanelles and other fronts, and in convinced that no good purpose can bs achieved by such criticisms, particularly the giving of world-wide publicity to events that are long since past. Such indiscretions only tend to discredit us with our enemies, weaken the confidence of neutral notions, and belittle Britain and her allies, Further, this committee expresses its unabated ci-1 dence in the Allies to overthrow the enemy and secure to the world a per* manent and everlasting peace.'' The resolution was seconded by Mr, J. Paton.

The Rev. A. H. Colvile said he deprecated the resolution. He thought that the fact that these messages had come through with the permission of the censor showed that there was some object in allowing a brilliant journalist—and there was no doubt Mr. Ashmead Bartlett was a brilliant journalist—to make these comments some time after the actual events had taken place. None of the information contained in the despatches would be of any use to the enemy. There was a great deal of dissatisfaction because so much news wa» held back, and though some Home news, papers had done a lot of harm in tlieit criticsms there was no doubt that,the papers which went to the other extreme of being too optimistic did just as much harm. Pointing out blunders which had been made would be a help in avoiding like mistakes in the future. He did' not believe these messages gave any encouragement to the enemy, and thej might do some good. In regard to recruiting, for instance, it was the experience .that if we were kept up by optimistic articles and told that everything was going well there would arise a feeling amongst men that they were not wanted, whereas articles telling th« truth, and showing that everything wai not well, acted as a stimulus to recruiting. It was this straight talk whicl stimulated people, and put baekbon* into them. In conclusion, Mr. Colvili said he did not think any useful pup jjose would be served by the Committo passing the resolution.

Some further discussion showed at absence of support for the resolution, and the discussion censed.