ALLEGATIONS DENIED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 June 1943, Page 3

ALLEGATIONS DENIED

THE SCRIMGEOUR CASE “NOT RAILROADED INTO ARMY.” REPLIES BY MINISTERS. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Replies to the statement, published yesterday, by the Controller of the Commercial Broadcasting Service. Mr C. G. Scrimgeour. with reference to his pending entry into camp and the circumstances of his appeal, were made yesterday by the Prime Minister. Mr Fraser, and the Minister in Charge of Broadcasting. Mr Wilson. Correspondence between Mr Scrimgeour and the Government was also made available. “I am satisfied, after inquiries as Acting Minister of Defence, that the fact is that Mr Scrimgeour has had rather mere consideration extended to him by the National Service and military authorities than is usually asked for by the average man called up," stated Mr Fraser. “My own sole contact with the matter of Mr Scrimgeour’s military service was last week, at the instance of Mr Nash, who conveyed to me representations from Mr Scrimgeour, given in a personal interview with Mr Nash, as to allegedly inconsiderate treatment by the military authorities in the matter of the date for him to report, which had been advanced from that given by the Area Officer. I gave the details furnished by Mr Scrimgeour to the military authorities, particularly in regard to family affairs, and asked that in the circumstances every consideration within the law should be extended to him in this particular matter. After reconsideration by the Army authorities concerned, the date of Mr Scrimgeour’s call-up was postponed to the date previously fixed by the Area Officer, as he requested through Mr Nash. Mr Scrimgeour will receive the same privileges in the matter of being a candidate for Parliament for any constituency he cares to stand for, as every other soldier is entitled to.”

Mr Wilson in the course of his statement said that there was no truth in the allegation that he had discriminated against Mr Scrimgeour and had taken the course of “rairoading him into the armed forces.” “If. as stated by Mr Scrimgeour, there are in the Commercial Broadcasting Service a considerable number of grade one men, it is because Mr Scrimgeour has appealed for them himself,” said Mr Wilson. “Mr Scrimgeour’s charge that I was on the point of finalising the appointment of an Acting Controller when it occurred to me to inquire as to the officer’s liability for military service, is surely not to my detriment, but it is much to Mr Scrimgeour’s detriment that he recommended this person without disclosing the fact that he had military obligations.” In a joint reply to the Prime Minister. Messrs A. McLagan, M. Moohan. J. Roberts and F. P. Walsh said they wished to make it perfectly clear that at' no time during the discussions with Mr Scrimgeour was any undertaking given by them that Mr Scrimgeour would not be called for military service nor that if he was called his military service would be restricted to one month in each year.