The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 19l0. THE KNYVETT CASE

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2760, 8 February 1910, Page 4

The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1910. THE KNYVETT CASE

Sir Joseph Ward can scarcely be congratulated upon the manner in which he has handled the Knvvett case. The final reply of the Cabinet seems to prove, that the Court of Inquiry set up was nothing better than a farce. If the accuracy or otherwise of the •charges made against Colonel Robin by .Captain Knvvett could not possibly weigh with the Court, where was the use of its sitting at all? The SolicitorGeneral rules, and we believe rightly, that this point was not essential in considering the charge brought against the popular Auckland officer: the point at issue was whether he had contravened the regulations in writing as he did of his superior officer. This should not have necessitated a Court of Inquiry, but could have been settled in the beginning, as it has been ultimately, by the legal opinion of the ’Crown adviser. When, however, a Court was set up, it surely should have investigated thoroughly and in a strictly legal manner all the circumstances concerning a matter vitally 'affecting the welfare of the defence forces. If Captain Knyvett could have shown that he had ample (provocation for writing the letter; if, ju fact, his fiction was that of a patriotic volunteer taking the risk of personal discredit in order to remedy .a grave abuse, then, surely, the fact should ’be taken into account in fixing the penalty. Instead, he was not giv-tfit i a' full opportunity to prove the trufib 1 of the charges he made, and he hasp be’rii visited by the extremest penalty 'that Could be meted out by those whom lie had offended. We believe that Captain Kny'iTtt- was guilty of an act of indiscretion, for which he should be - * punished, but there lias been nothing to show that lie" was inspired by any unworthy motive, aiid : the punishment inflicted reads more like the vindictive work of outraged authorities than 1 the calm verdict of an unbiassed' tribunal. : Had the captain been given' a? fair hearing at the Court of Inquiry, and had a reasonable penalty been inflicted for his rash, but well-intentioned act,, the role of martyr which the .Aucklanders so promptly allotted him, would have quickly fallen flat. As it is, an apparent injustice has become a very real one. Worse even than the unfairness displayed to the individual officer, is the fact that whereas grave allegations have been .made against the control of the Defence Department, there is so far no indication that they are to receive the slightest attention from the Government.