Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Friday 24 July 1931, page 10


PROFESSOR ANDERSON.

——— . ———

Reply to University Senate.

Professor John Anderson, Professor of Philosophy at the University of Sydney, replied to the Senate of the University, which had censured him for his remarks on patriotism, loyalty, war memorials, religious observances, and unconstitutional methods.

"I regret to find," he said, "that many people, even among those who wish to be friendly towards me, seem satisfied with the Senate's verdict. The matter is 'settled,' the sensation is over, and now we can all go back to our work, and hope that trouble will not rear its head again. The matter, however, is not settled. The fight for freedom of thought and speech does not stop; it goes on. I have done nothing deserving of cen-sure. I have stood for full discussion of important questions, which is an entirely academic thing to do. If I am not to oppose official views, this is not free speech. And until all members of the staff have been given a list of things they are not to say, they are serving under an unstated condition. The censure. I contend, ought to be withdrawn."

STUDENTS' STATEMENT.

Messrs R. G. Bass, W. A. W. Wood, and W. A. Loftus, on behalf of a committee elected by Professor Anderson's classes, stated that on no occasion had a "body of students in Professor Anderson's classes walked out of the class because of his disloyal utterances" or through disapproval of his views. Pro-fessor Anderson had never taught "atheism" or "sentiments of disloyalty" or "want of al-legiance" or any Communistic or Soviet doc- trines in his lectures. As the University Senate had publicly stated, "Professor John Anderson, in his class lectures, has main-tained due impartiality in treating the various topics with which he has to deal."

RETURNED SOLDIERS' PROTEST.

ORANGE, Thursday.

Returned soldiers have agreed to submit to the headquarters of the Returned Soldiers' League a motion protesting against the re-ported statements of Professor John Anderson, and urging that he should be relieved of his position forthwith.