PL—l9b

44

sider 1 have there sufficient ground to say that the Chief of General Staff dampened our enthusiasm by giving these articles about my company and myself personally. I respectfully ask for your ruling, sir. The President: You think the belittling of yourself and company dampened the enthusiasm throughout the whole Dominion? Captain Enyvett: Yes; you make it a personal matter, but as to the experience of other officers I can bring plenty of evidence on that point. I want to ask whether I have shown sufficient grounds to warrant me in making out that statement? The President: All we want is from you personally. We are aware that at the time you must have felt very strongly. It is for you to connect your charge with your grievance, and nothing else. Captain Knyvett: I want the ruling of the Court as to whether it is necessary to call more officers? The President: You think that the discouragement of your company dampened the enthusiasm of the whole Volunteer movement throughout New Zealand? Captain Knyvett: If you say assisted, sir. There are other things that brought that paragraph in. The President: Well, you believe that the belittling of yourself and company would discourage and dampen the enthusiasm of the whole Volunteer movement? Captain Knyvett: I say, most decidedly so. It would assist in dampening enthusiasm in the whole Volunteer movement. The President: Will you give evidence on the third charge? Captain Knyvett: No, sir; I want this other charge decided on. I have some —— The President: We want to know on the third charge before we can tell on the second. Captain Knyvett: I shall have to call evidence on that, sir. The Court deliberated in private on the second charge. On resuming, the President said, You may call further evidence on the second charge. The Court does not consider it necessary. Captain Knyvett then proceeded to deal with the third charge laid in respect of the following sentence of his letter: "Since these articles appeared 1 have been approached by many officers throughout the whole of the North Island, who have had similar experience of the unwarranted interference and unexampled officialism of Colonel Robin." Captain Knyvett: I shall have to call evidence as to that. I should like to ask, while lam giving evidence on this myself, if you want me to give evidence about " unexampled officialism." It is a complimentary phrase. The President: No, we are not going to discuss that. It is equally a breach of regulations to compliment or criticize. ■ Captain Knyvett: Can I call evidence to show that I had reasonable grounds for stating that? I want to know whether the Court is favourable or unfavourable. The President: All the evidence you can call is as to whether they made such statements to you. You are charged with a breach of discipline by making these statements. It is equally a breach of regulations to criticize or to praise. Captain Knyvett: I think I would not have been arrested for praising a superior officer, would I ? I would like to state that the witnesses whose names are down there will be able to give evidence as to the unwarranted interference and unexampled officialism of Colonel Robin. The President: They made such statements to you? Captain Knyvett: Yes, and that justified me in making that statement. -*-V The President: You state that "since these articles appeared you have been approached by officers throughout the whole of the North Island," &c. Are you prepared to give names? Captain Knyvett: The witnesses are there; I have given you the names. The President: You state that you have been approached. Captain Knyvett: Yes. The President: Now, this is a question, not of personal opinion, but of fact. Captain Knyvett: You have already ruled that you are not here to hear statements of fact, oiie way or the other. The President: Here you make a statement for yourself. You state in this letter that since these articles appeared you have been approached by many officers throughout the whole of the North Island, who have had similar experiences of the unwarranted interference and unexampled officialism of Colonel Robin. Is that true, or is it not? Captain Knyvett: It is quite true, sir, absolutely true. I understood that the question of the truth or otherwise could not be brought into it. The President: The truth or untruth of the charges you make in your letter does not matter; the Court is not here to inquire into them. It is here to inquire whether they were made bond fide. Captain Knyvett: The question, I submit, is whether I had sufficient grounds for believing them to be true, not whether they were true, I would like to point out. The President: You state that since these articles appeared you have been approached by many officers throughout the whole of the North Island, who have had similar experiences? Is that true? Captain Knyvett: Voluntarily, I say it is true, although, I submit, you have ho right to ask me. It is true. The President (to Captain Sandtmann, who had written the question) : Read the question again. Captain Sandtmann read the question. Knyvett: Yes, although I protest against the question. The President: Are you prepared to give the names?