BOOK CRITICISED

Waikato Times, Volume 128, Issue 21370, 14 March 1941, Page 7

BOOK CRITICISED

REFERENCE TO ENGLAND MR DOWNIE STEWART’S REPLY PROTEST THREE YEARS LATE (By Telegraph.—Press Association) DUNEDIN, Thursday In reply to Mr Frank Milner, the Hon. W. Downie Stewart stated that when Mr Milner said he was astonished he had passed certain statements in a book entitled ‘‘Contemporary New Zealand,” Mr Milner forgot that he, Mr Stewart, was the first to draw his attention to the passages complained of while the book was in manuscript and consulted him upon the changes of getting the passages amended by the editorial committee. It was Mr Milner, if he remembered rightly, who pointed out that in spite of these passages the author saved himself from censure by ending his chapter in high praise of the value of the British connection. The editorial committee, while divided, insisted on the retention of the chapter, since the book made it clear that each contributor expressed his own view. After months of correspondence the Dunedin group of the Institute of International Affairs had failed to persuade the editorial committee to cut out the passages objected to. “Mr Milner quoted Dr. Sutch as ‘wishing to cut tne painter from Britain’,” continued Mr Stewart, “but was not it disingenuous to imply that he did so in this book? Finally, why did Mr Milner not refer to these passages at the Sydney conference and not raise his voice until three years after the incident?”

As for Dr. Findlay, Mr Stewart said he noticed he had just completed strenuous training at a territorial camp and should be judged by his actions, not words. PROFESSOR’S ATTITUDE (By Telegraph.—Press Association) DUNEDIN, Thursday “In an exceedingly unmannerly outburst,” said Professor Findlay, commenting on Mr Frank Milner’s address at Oamaru, “Mr Milner has chosen to attack me for being the author of a passage quoted by Dr. Beaglehole in ‘Contemporary New Zealand,’ a work with the writing of which I have been in no way concerned. The passage in question is from an article written several years ago, which deals with the bad effect on the general mentality of New Zealanders of certain forms of spurious and exaggerated Imperialism. “The general view there developed, that our primary loyalty within the Commonwealth is to ourselves, and that our primary concern is with our own regional problems, is by no means original. Professor Condliffe, a New Zealander, formulated similar views at least 10 years ago. In any other Dominion such opinions would be commonplace. They would merely bore people in England. I can see nothing in them which is contrary to belief in the profound value and necessity of intimate co-operation among the various members of the British Commonwealth, co-operation which is certainly imperative now, nor do I doubt that at present England is leading both the Empire and the world.”

Professor Findlay said he did not think several years later the proper time to discuss the contents of an article written in time of peace. He could only say that it seemed to him an expression of legitimate and arguable opinion, to which he still, in the main, adhered, and that some things which he should not now say were perfectly proper things to say in that different time. __