“VILE & COWARDLY”

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 June 1938, Page 4

“VILE & COWARDLY”

ATTACK ON THE MINISTER OF FINANCE MR SEMPLE DENOUNCES FOUL TACTICS. UNMARKED LEAFLETS LEFT IN LETTER-BOXES. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, June 22. Communism. Bolshevism and Fascism were strongly denounced by the Hon R. Semple (Minister of Public Works) at Waimate last night. The Minister said an attempt was being made in the Hutt electorate to associate the Hon W. Nash (Minister of Finance) with the doctrine at present being enforced in Russia, and to represent Mr Nash to the people of New Zealand as a follower of this breed of Communism. This was a vile and cowardly assault, from under cover, upon a man who was the implacable foe of all doctrines of force operating in the world today. “I know of no better Christian in New Zealand than Mr Nash.” said Mr Semple. “If there is any doctrine to which he is allied, it is the doctrine of Christianity. Mr Nash is an Englishman, and to the English there is no doctrine or creed more repugnant than those which seek to thrust themselves upon people at the point of the bayonet and by the dropping of bombs. We will not stand for that sort of thing in New Zealand or in any other British country.” Mr Semple added that the life and work of the present Minister of Finance in New Zealand had been in continual conflict with such doctrines as those of Communism, Bolshevism and Fascism. This fact was well known to the people who knew Mr Nash best; yet, in the Hutt district, an effort was being made to associate Mr Nash with the foul practices sometimes underlying these political creeds. . The attack was being made in the most cowardly fashion, added Mr Semple. Leaflets were being delivered to the letter-boxes of residents in the Hutt electorate during the hours of darkness. These leaflets did not carry an imprint, and this made the task of tracing the distributor particularly difficult. The result was that one of the most cowardly methods of

fighting an election was being perpe-

trated in New Zealand today. Mr Semple concluded by saying that the Government would use all its resources to protect New Zealand from the introduction of any, political creed which depended on the exercise of force for its initiation and subsequent administration. In doing this it did not mind what measure of criticism it received, so long as that criticism was fair, but it 'would visit the severest punishment on those responsible for the treacherous and malicious form of propaganda now being distributed in the North Island.