SENTENCE ON GAUDING

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2359, 15 January 1915, Page 6

SENTENCE ON GAUDING

I, . « : VIEW OP FARMERS' 'ONION. (Br TakexaDh—P«6> Aisoclattoir,) Hamilton, January 14. At the meeting of the Hamilton branch of the Farmers' Union to-day, Mr. Macgregor, president, reviewed the | circumstances which led to the arrest , and conviction of Gaudm, who was con- ! victed of war treason. He said that accused, who is believed to have German connections, was a. member of a German firm, and was proved to have German sympathies. A section of the Auckland people are moving to have the sentence set aside, but if this is done it would ho putting the military authorities at Samoa, who imposed what Ithey • considered an appropriate sentence, in a false position. The following resolution was carried unanimously: "That this branch of the Farmers' Union distinctly objects to any interference whatever with the decision of the court-martial held upon F. E; N. Gaudin at Samoa, as it would placo the administrators of Samoa in a false position to interfere with their decision." All the members present agreed that the present was no time for nambypamby sentiment, that if a man deliberately broke the law he must take the consequences., It was further pointed out that had a similar case occurred in Germany the punishment would have been far more drastic, and'tho offender would probably have been shot. It was decided to send a copy of the re-, solution to the Defence Minister.