THE GAUDIN CASE

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2360, 16 January 1915, Page 8

THE GAUDIN CASE

OUR GOVERNMENT NOT CONCERNED MUCH MISCONCEPTION A good deal of misconception appears to exist in New Zealand concerning the administration of German Samoa, now under British military occupation. This, misconception has been made the more apparent since tho Gaudiii court-mar-tial. People taking different sides of tho controversy are apparently nndor tho impression that in some way or other tho New Zealand Government has power to review the decision of tho Military Court by which Gaudin was sentenced. The Administrator of German Samoa (Colonel Logan) is a New Zealand soldier, and the-Island is garrisoned by a New Zealand force, but both C-olonol Logan and his force are entirely under the control of the Imperial authorities. The New Zealand Government lias no right—even if it had tho desire —to issue any instructions to tho Administrator. If, therefore, it should happen that the sentence of the Military Court on Gaudin is reviewed or varied, this will bo done not by the New Zealand Government, but by tho Imperial authorities. German Samoa is not now a British possession, as is commonly supposed, but only German territory in occupation of the British. The future destiny of Samoa will be' determined, along with the_ destiny of all other occupied territories, only when peace is concluded at the end of tho war.