militarist with Christian Sympathies

Recently the Wellington Branch of the N.Z. Council of Civil Liberties held a meeting to consider the recent public utterances of Security Head Gilbert. The two speakers, Mr W. J. Scott, principal of Wellington Teachers' College and Mr J. Roberts, lecturer in the Pol. Science Department, both welcomed the recent statement of Gilbert's on the grounds that at last the activities of the Security Police were open to public scrutiny and debate.

Mr Scott opened by stating that "we are learning to live without certain rights." This was primarily a result of our increasing concern with security at the expense of freedom. The Security Department was in a cruelly contradictory position in that it had the job Of defending democracy in an antidemocratic manner. Security had, of necessity, to concern itself with opinions, not actions.

One dangerous aspect of the work of security was in its supplying of information to prospective employers. The person accused did not have the right to defend himself; indeed usually he would not even be aware that any accusations as to his politically unreliability had been made. This was a some-what paradoxical situation in that someone who is suspected of treason cannot defend himself where-as someone who is actually charged with treason has his rights defended.

Identifying Brigadier Gilbert as '"That ex-member of a militarist organisation who has christian sympathies" he found himself horrified by the Brigadier's complete political naivety.

He asked what was the Brigadier's purpose in "warning people of the possible communist influence in Education."

He further doubted the efficiency of security, claiming that the Force was looking for spies in the wrong place. Spies would not be found in the Communist Party or any "progressive organisations". The only possible purpose in paying attention to such organisations was to attempt to stifle their political voice.

Mr Scott argued that the only possible way for a democracy to exist and for the worth of an idea to be tested was for it to be fully discussed in the "market." For this reason he was glad the Brigadier had made his "politically disreputable" statement and for this reason he supported the right of the Communist Party and all with deviant political ideas to propogate their ideas.

For Roberts' views, see "Brigadier Bombarded."