GERMAN PRISONERS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2613, 9 November 1915, Page 8

GERMAN PRISONERS

FROM SAMOA

DISOBEYING REGULATIONS e q By Tolcjt'aph.—Press Association. e . Auckland, November 8. Fifteen German prisoners of war wcro t brought to Auckland by the Taluue last t night, in charge of a guard from tho r Samoau Garrison, under Captain Algiu. ] Among the prisoners was Karl Hanssen, t general manager of tho D.H. and P.G. r Company at Samoa, v.'ho has been sen- ,, tenced to six months' imprisonment by i the Military Court for evading censorship and disobeying the regulations. Ho was also ordered .to bo interned until the end of tho war. Another prisoner Was Adolph Eberhardt, manager of one of the principal plantations of the D.H. and P.G. Company. He was charged with failing to deliver to tho occupying force -property in his charge belonging to tho lato German Government at Samoa, and was fined £30 and ordered to be interned until the end of the -war. Others brought back were: Ernest Boon, Max Moldenhauscr, Fried rich Stunyer, Paul Hoeflich, Max Bendt, Albert von-Eoidy, Walter Michael, Charles ' Maneking, Hans Traub, Gustave Motzkus,"Wilhelni O'.'.J - Charles Winstonstein, and jjii'taye "';c\'ner. These are ordinary r.,r ; ' jiiers of w». who have been ordered ;,r be interned. A Raid. On Sept 'mber 30, tb? .lead officc and four plai. f a ; c?"? of '.'.ic JD.H. and P.G. Company, 'icv'iian '\m of traders controlling largp Crests, were raided simultaneously by ilie military authorities, who took possesc'in of all the firm's documents, etc. No was offered 1 to tho search parties. On October 7 Karl Hanssen and Adolph El.'rhardt were arrested and taken before tin 5 Military Court on October 15. Hanssi-ji, . who was charged with evading censorship and disobeying military regulations, is alleged to have given letters to tho launches trading between the islands, which, it was suggested by tlio prosecution, intercepted sailing vessels trading to San Francisco and arranged with them to post them to Germany on arrival at their destination. Tho letters wore captured and sent, back to Samoa. Ho. was found guilty and sentenced. Eberhardt was charged with failing to deliver to the occupying force documents belonging to the late German Administration at Samoa. It is said that the documents were contained in a dispatch box belonging to a late prominent official there, who is at present a prisoner of war, and that they were regarded by the authorities as the most important secured since the British occupied Samoa. . Six young German clerks who pleaded guilty to evading tho censorship were fined £150 in all. Stirring up Strife. Those who returned state emphatically that there is no doubt about tho Germans endeavouring to stir up strifo amongst the natives, and that the latter are told most- outrageous untruths. They were told that London had boon razed to.the ground and that the Germans had occupied England, and.were greatly relieved when told that this was not so, The natives generally are decidedly favourable to the British. A Proclamation forbidding, anyone . to. bo in the streets between 10 p'.m. and 5 aim. has been put into force again. While it was withdrawn the Germans are said to have indulged in most disgraceful orgies. Since the Proclamation was put 'into force again things have quietened down, Tho business of the D.H. and P:G. Company is now being carried on by a receiver appointed by tho New Zealand Government. • • All the interned Germans per tho Tallinn proceed to Wellington by train to-night. (