INTERNMENT OF GERMANS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2803, 22 June 1916, Page 6

INTERNMENT OF GERMANS

WHAT HAPPENS IN AUCKLAND

PRISONERS COME TOTOWN

COMPLAINTS IN PARLIAMENT,

A reply was given ill'the Houso yesterday by the Minister of Defence to Mr. Poole's question regarding a disturbance that took jjiace between a German prisoner ashore from Somes Island and his guard of soldiers. Mr. Poole, in his question, quoted-a.newspaper acconnt of the occurrence, in which it was stated that the German seemed to be slightly under the influence of drink.

The 3linister's reply was as follows:— I ' "My attention has been called to the dis. turbatice referred.to. Every precaution will be taken to avoid a recurrence. Tho ■ newspaper paragraph quoted is somewhat at: variance with the official report of 'the Commandant, Internment Camp, ' Somes Island, from which' it;appears that {1)' On approaching the. wharf on his • returnj.the'prikmer asked for permission rto '.purchase a flask of spirits,; and on the 'request being'refused he declined to pro- : ceed. -(2) The immediate interference of _ -the crowd' precipitated trouble, and a "I civilian struck the prisoner a blow which dazed him. (3) The sergeant in charge states that had not the crowd intervened Ik! conld hnve avoided trouble by persuading the prisoner, or, if that failed, marched him off under cover of a loaded , revolver. (1) Two reliable non-commis-sioned officers have certified that the prisoner'was not drunk. (5) Prisoners are allowed to visit the City under guard only on very urgent circumstances. (G) The. reasons* given by the prisoner when requesting permission to go to Wellington nnder escort were of a sufficiently urgent . nature, in the estimation of the. Commandant of the Internment Camp, to/ justify the leave." Sensational statements were made by ■■ Auckland members in discussing the re. . ply. Mr. Pnole said that the 'Minister» ..statement that steps would be taken to avoid a recurrence of . whnt had occurred ~on the Wellington wharf showed that some good had l">en achieved by raising tho question. The lenient manner in which the Government was treating the .prisoners both at Somes Island and at . Motuihi was, causing a. large number of

~ peonle to become disgusted. • We were .molly-coddling -these prisoners instead of i' placing tlicni under, strong discipline. Ho did not advocate vindictiveness or harshness, but great dissatisfaction was _ felt . at ftir'fact that while the British prison"Vers of war in Europe were being treated in such a filthy manner the , Gorman prisoners in New Zealand .-"were being accorded infinitely better treat- .. ment than accorded' to thousands of our own subjects in the Dominion. He had received a letter; from Auckland, in .which-the following passage occurred: "Only either-last Monday or Tuesday ; a large party of picnickers.arrived (from Motuihi) with a few .youthful, guards, nnd I went over to see them embark on -~ their return. From what I could see there appeared to bo no responsible officer in charge—just a few youths who i .were chatting,and laughing _ with the nrisoners and smoking fat cigars. The boat conveying them was a', large palatial launch, and all hands were standing by, as some of the Huns who evidently had urgent business in the city,, •were lite. waiting some time'they arrived, and one would have thought it was the Admiral of tho Fleet and his staff soing -aboard. It made one's blood boil to see them dressed in tho latest , and with immaculate linen, and evidently living on the best, and then to think how our countrvmen are treated'in Germany! I. predict that if . this, sort of thing is soing to continue and the general nublic.get wise to it, flint there will be . a riot some day. It is only those near the waterfront who have any idea of what is. going oh." Continuing, Mr. Poole said that whilst, .'nobody advocated harshness, it was only . reasonable, to ask that the prisoners at Motuihi. and Somes Island should be ;;"fcept under proper control, and that ■' they, should receive no snecial benefits. • It -was high time. that, there was a change, as the. nresent treatment of prisoners was making the Administration the laughing-stock of the whole rnnnity..Mr. Pavne said that what was going on . was hardly surprising, • seeing that the House, by 41 to 8, had decided .to allow aliens to, join our Forces." He'nroceeded to refer to the - House as "ProGcrmans" when he was sharplv nulled un by Mr. Speaker. Mr Young said "that public attention had lately _been forcibly directed to thr great,: freedom '.alloWed ; to prisoners of ' 4rV isi . tin S' cities of' Auckland. and Wellington; The manager - of . a ' wellJST 1 ! *"A'laid- 'had, stated that he objected-.-to nrisoners of war going to his hotel. '"Give somebodj' else • Ti, ir e : sait, % do not want them, asvthey; are,driving our customers fr™' ' AT re il''t he , 'J 111 ? 1 ™!? extract from a letter that ha-1 been received ny • a member of the House fr«m an Auckland resulent, whose •olac* of busi ness was on the waterfront. "It is per- . fleetly true about the prisoners and J""™ 3 frejiiienting'one of, the firsthoMs, and dining and drinking torather I maintain .that it is not a fair tlu'I 1 " -i." men either) in > I s . if thev accept favours from fheir prisoners is it not natural ■vtfiak=the^-w<>uMv W e. something in re- - o"Ji V w] ,T, "i knows , , [ herß ' l if: mieht .end. w, a li v .] ln( . a craftT •JH "if. 1 !'" 1 'S. and he must'smile vhpn hp thinks ivhnt mus:s are. Then ayfin, it is not a fair thing to ask ,V 1 0 may hnve" brothers ™;t .n T," th ; ,r ,iv<!? "V 018 front ' - tt , i ,e fferpians. T'notice that ■, Herr Ccl lias been released ow.lll. to ill-health. When our poor bpp::Rars in Germany were dying'lit«''flies' 1 fe Ter.they didn't even get a doctor ' ...Jet alone fheiv liberty" ■In referring to the'illness of the lato .-■German Consul, Kerr Seeencr Mr . , asked whether there were not doctora- , nmongrf the prisoners who eoula render 'lh-nt fr GSrarv t ™ t ™ ent '-: He believed' Hie pr'soners included an Austrian . doctor of reputed considerable skill, nnd - he could see no reason why the services " able in J ne V hol^W - nofc bo ln(,<le »™il- ■ »rv,„ treating jinsoners at the camp. JktWlW.it rticli tho prisoners drove ,n.moj»Miirs.in Auckland, .with a' wrfh a b ny°net sitting at ' % t» C ?V?y ,,e C ? T , was,becoming quite , a joke. If the prisoners had to visit the ■ + 5 °, n should be allowe<l to do their , business and quickly • ■ a W". and not. allowed to "show °"" a ™ havo a good time generally , Mr. Poland Mid there was a great deal . ot dissatisfaction regarding the extra- .. ordinary leniency shown not only to Ger- , mans,in the internment camps, but also .-to those<who were not, but who should be interned. The matter was the subject of common talk in Auckland. . The Gov- . ernment should deal with the matter in a manner which would give more satisfaction to the,public, especially to those : who had sons fighting at the front. There , was no desire to interfere with those who had proved their loyalty. ' ,-T he on ' •* J ' iferdiuan said that he .. dm not' know all the circumstances to , which reference had been made. He had . no dou.bt that the Minister of Defence . when he returned would crive the matter his personal intention. He (Mr. Herdman) had, however, somo knowledge of , the case of Carl ■ Seejjner, at one time German Consul at Auckland. Seegner was interned, and after his internment .it was reported twice by Colonel Talbot, . the medical officer, that if Seegner were confined, there he would die. With a view of having the matter more closely investigated, tho Minister decided that be should be examined by Siirgeon-Gen-eral Henderson, the principal medical .'officer of New Zealand, and it was upon . his report that tho Government decided i that Seegner should be allowed to go to ■ liis own home, where ho would be watch<kl over either by a soldier or a policc„mnn. The man was suffering from diabetes. He could not recover. He would , die. He (Mr. Herdman) did not know . whether the House expected the Govern'ment to have humane feelings. At any rate, the Government bad decided that . tho man, if ho must die, should bo allowed to die in his own home. Mr. Herdman went on to' speak of a .statement that hi*d been made that the Government had refused to intern

Jacques Schloss, of Wellington, in spite of tile fact that,tho police had reported that he was a distinctly dangerous man «"ho ought not to be at large. No such report End ever been received from tho police. From timo to time it liad been reported that this man was disaffected and dangerous, and his circumstances had been investigated two or three times. He could assure the House that if there were any circumstances which at all justified the Government in interning hiin ho would have been interned. (Hear, hear.) The Government bad followed the general policy of not interfering with an unnaturiilised German so long as he conducted himself properly, and repeated himself to tho polioo as required. Tho case of Schloss had been considered by the Crown Law Office and ih,e police, and after a. careful renew of all the circumstances the conclusion had been reached that the Government would not be justified in putting the man on Somes Island.

Dr. Thacken Why did you shut up his business, then? ■Mr. Herdinan: Wo shut up his business under the War Regulations, by wliioii vie shut up the business of every German or alien enemy subject who trades overseas.