"SPOOK" INTERVIEW

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10310, 10 August 1911, Page 5

"SPOOK" INTERVIEW

CABLE NEWS

United Press Association — By Electric Telegraph — Copyright.

MR STEAD'S VIEWS.

AFFIRMS ITS ABSOLUTE ACCURACY.

(Received This Morning, 1.15 o'clock.)

LONDON, August 9.

Mr Stead, who has returned from a visit to the Balkans, affirms the absolute accuracy of the Fisher inter view. He exhibited a letter book showing the printer's proofs of th<> interview which were sent to Mr Fisher on July Ist. Mr Fisher did not return them, and he assumed that his silence gave con sent. "When Mr Fisher said," continue;! Mr Stead, "as I perfectly well remember he did, in so many words, tha„ though he did not contemplate any *uch event, Australia might haul dow . the-flag and start on her own rathev than be involved in unjust war, he but uttered the obvious truth. Mr Stead cannot conceive anyone familiar with Mr Fisher's views find ing anything in the interview eithei novel or original. Mr Stead made no notes. JTe never does when he interviews. His recollection is perfectly clear of this brief conversation. He wrote the interview out at once. Mi Stead several times re-affirmed that Mr Fisher, used the phrase abo n t hauling down the flag, and that 'f otherwise it would be impossible to avoid participation in war, which Australia considered unjust. Mr Stead was led to seek the interview because of Mr Fisher's speech at the Imperial Conference in favour of a wider International Conference.