A BOOMERANG ATTACK.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 November 1919, Page 7

A BOOMERANG ATTACK.

i ■MR. MYERS'S SPIRITED DEFENCE. ! TABLES TURNED ON ASSAILANTS. In the course of his address to the electors of Auckland East at St. Benedict's Hall one night last week, tne Hon. Arthur Myers gave ai spirited reply to a number of attacks directed against his nationality and religion, says the Star. "During the 14 years of my public life never before has the question of my religion and birthplace of my parents been raised," he said. "I regret., however, some half-dozen ladies, headed by one whose parents were born in Hanover, have endeavoured to damage my political career, and hurt my most sacred feelings. For the information of any of my fellow-citizens who may recently have taken up their residence in Auckland, I desire to give the facts in order to remove erroneous impressions. My father's family have resided in England for over two hundred years. My grandfather was sent as Rabbi to Russian Poland, where my father was born, The city of his birth, Thorn, is one of the two most ancient and most loyal of Polish cities. At the time of my father's birth, however, Thorn was technically in Prussia, having been annexed by that country. As is known, this city has again been restored to Poland by last year's Peace Treaty. My father returned to England, where he resided until he emigrated to Australia. "My mother belongs to the well-known Ehrenfried family. There were four of them, and, being orphans, they emigrated to Australia 70 years ago to join relatives already there. Sixty years ago they took up residence in New Zealand, and as early pioneers went through all the vicissitudes of pioneer life in this country. My mother's sister was the mother of the late Mr. Fred. Baume, M.P., K.C. Her brother, Mr. Louis Ehrenfried, was one of our best-known and respected citizens. The inscription on my uncle's grave in Symonds Street (and Which is an epitome of his life's activities) is as follows: " 'lnspired by a deep-seated love of God and of humanity*, he strove to fulfil the duties of citizenship.' "My wife is the daughter of the late Mr. B. W. Levy, of London, and who was granted the Freedom of three cities (Liverpool, Manchester and Salford), in recognition of his services to his fellowcitizens. My two brothers (Mr. Leo and Lieut.-Colonel Myers) enlistod in the Army at the outbreak of war. The latter was twice mentioned in dispatches, and gained the C.M.G., and the former worked his way up from private to captain, serving in the trenches until invalided home. To my own personal knowledge the number of my own and my wife's family connections fighting under the British flag in the great war was over forty, eleven of whom made the supreme sacrifice in the cause of liberty and democracy. I have not a single relative outside the British Empire, witli the exception of an uncle who was a professor in an American university. A FINE RECORD. "As regards myself, I was born in Ballarat, Australia, and came with my parents to New Zealand at the j.ge of three years, and have since always resided here. I am a member of the Jewish Faitii, and to recognise the duties and responsibilities of citizenship has always been one of the highest aims of my life. I trust that my activities on behalf of Auckland and «iy country are but outward manifestations of thespiritthatactuates me. Hundreds of thousands of Jews fought under the banners of the Allied armies in the great, war. 70,000 enlisted in the Britisli Army alone, many of whom won the V.C. and' other decorations. Jewish leaders and statesmen have rendered signal services to Britain and her Allies in the direction of bringing about the victory. One need only ■ mention such well-known names as Lord Reading, Lord Chief Justice of England; Sir John Monash, General in Command of the Australian Forces'; Mr. Edwin Montagu, Secretary of State for India; and Samuel Gompers, the leader of the U.S.A. Federation of Labor, to illustrate my statement. Voice: That is not true. Another voice: He is no longer a leader of the Labor movement. Mr. Myers: Well, all I know of him is that he stands as the representative of the great Labor movement in America (Applause). PERSONAL SERVICE. Referring to his own personal career, Mr. Myers said:-"l desire to point out that my first entry into public life was ; in acquiescence to the wishes of my fel-low-citizens, in becoming Mayor of Auckland. At the conclusion of my four years* term of office, at a gathering in I Albert Park of 10,000 of my fellow-citi- ; zens, I was presented with an address of , appreciation of the services which I had ' been able to render the city as Mayor . Ihe impression made upon me on the oct casion in question was a deep and last--1 ing.one, and was .the means of my coming to a determination thenceforward to , devote my life to the service of my felp low citizens. In conclusion, may I Win repeat that it is distasteful both to myself and to the members of my family that it should ever have haan necessary to refer in this manner to personal and lamily matters; but one can only do so m public refutation of the mis-state-ments that have been circulated during the past five years by the ladies previously mentioned.'' (Prolonged nrmlaiuM