MOTUIHI AFFAIR

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 116, 2 February 1918, Page 10

MOTUIHI AFFAIR

THE TURNER COURT-MARTIAL THE DEFENCE ACCUSED GIVES EVIDENCE By Telegraph—Press , Association. Auckland, February 1. The court-martial on the charges against Colonel Turner was resumed ■to-day. • ;

Colonel Turner stated that his appointment was signed by Colonel PilkJngton,- who bad since been to the island three times. The adjutant-gen-eral had never .visited the island officially, but Major Lilly had once. No official visit had been paid by the 0.C.D., though lie bad been there unofficially. The method of communication regarding prisoners was direct with Headquarters, Wellington. Me received his orders regarding the Motuihi detachment from Headquarters, ■'Wellington, and had not received orders from District Headquarters, Auckland. In July last witness was directed by the G.O.C. to consider the question of 'reducing the-guard. Witness consulted with the 0.C.D., not for the purpose of getting orders, but of arriving ■at some method of carrying out the. suggestion. As ii result the guard was reduecd from 35 to 2*l, and converted into a military patrol, as suggested, by the G.O.d. After the Seo Adler prisoners had been on tho island some eight days they asked permission to go for a walk. Witness gave them permission to go a certain distance within 'certain limits and within a certain time. Subsequently they gave their word of honour, not parole, faithfully to adhere to the rules of the island,, and witness had to admit that they had kept their word up to tlie time of the escape. Witli regard to their treatment, he was guided by regulations in reference to the treatment 1 of prisoners of war, and in tho abscnco, of orders he adhered to them closely. Witness was uneasy in his mind regarding the See Adler prisoners. ' On November 26 Colonel I'aterso'n wrote to Wellington,, asking that I.the. prisoners be removed, but no reply was received. With regard to the | transfer of Erdmann from Welling- | t<jn, Von Luckner asked that this man I be sent up as orderly, and witness for- | warded the request without commcnt. j When the Minister t visited tho island I earlier in the montli, Von Luckner j asked that all his men be transferred jto.Motuihi, but this was refused, and j lie thpn askcd_ for Erdmann. When I leaving, the Minister' remarked jto wit- ; ness that he did not think it would j be advisablo to send Erdmann up, with which witness agreed. Tho men got tools' used oil tho island through the canteen, and were not able to get anything they chose. Witness was informed of what was known as tho scare on November 20, by Colonel Paterson, who stated' that a motor patrol was being sent out, but would not call at _ the island. Subsequently, Major I rice called' at the island and delivered a letter to witness, in which particulars of the patrol were given. No reason was given, however, and wit- | ness asked what it wa's all about. Mai jor Price then gave him some particu- | '® r s stating that there was a rumour I iuJ a > scm '' wfts c '"K out, and | that there was a possibility of a fast launch being used. Witness replied I that lie had 'not sufficient men to'rei a landmg, and a system of signals | was arranged. He and his men were. 1 on duty for three nights, and he stated I at the timo that they would have to | be relieved, as : it was too much for • them. -.Ifc was following this that an | application for more men was made. !Jt ,-was not till December 18 that witness received full details of tho scare. | When Major, Lilly visited the island he I received complaints from some of the i prisoners and acted in an official capacity.' Major Lilly informed Lim that ho I (turner) was one of his commandants, j ancl that if ho did not look out they would crucify him botween them. Witness was several times called up to Auckland to sit on courts-inartial and courts of inquiry. In fact, he had sat on every court of the kind since, his appointment to Motuihi. He, left a sergeant-major in charge when he only went to Auckland. If he. went to Weilington ho asked for an . fficer from Auckland. If ho had received' tho reinforcements he wanted lie could have resumed the armed guard, one of tho. results of which would be the placing of a sentry on -Tower Hill. , . Asked to Economise. Witness had on various occasions been asked to economise, arid could not take an extra man down unless ho had authority for his pay. Witness corresponded direct with the A.G., but sent a copy to District Headquarters marked "For your information." Witness assumed that it was Grun, the chief wireless operator from Samoa, who made the wireless installations. Neither rifle nor ammunition had been lost from tho island. With regard to money there would be no difficulty for prisoners to get £120 between them. There was no objection to his having a launch. With regard to the sparking plugs, ho did not attach much importance to them as. they were fixed into the cylinder caps, and these were always removed. The men who removed them were two German prisoners, one of whom, Freuud, was an /Xpert motor engineer, while tho other acted as messenger and mailman. Those two men bod proved themselves vustworLhy, and it was laid down in regulations that prisoners of war could bo employed. Moreover, witness had no one on the island capable of doing the work. These two men were always under essort. Visitors to Prisoners,

Passes for visitors to prisoners of war were issued by Colonel Paterson lor a time because he was in town. Witness objected to one visitor, namely, Mrs. Langguth, and, after consultation with Colonel Paterson, later agreed that it would not be wise to issue :oer a pass. Witness was very much surprised subsequently to meet her at Colonel Paterson's oflice with a letter from the Mm-i«ti'-i' ir iving her permission to visit the island" With regard to the man Mcllert, application was made tor assistance on the farm, and Mellert was ono of the men chosen. Alter the Prisoners had escaped witness found a kerosene tin behind some of the qnarteis which contained water. It had been soldered up, and was to all intents like a new tin. ... To Mr. 'l'oic: Men I took c\ei Motuihi 1 was satisfied with wmu- my predecessor was doing. Did you get injunctions when assumed your dutiesi-—"No: Why did you not ask ly? diemr— 1 did ask for instructions, ,'jut I dir. not get them." i , „ Did you exercise vi&'iance.-— Yes. You had a failly I'bjc hand at Motuilii 'i —"Ky no . Did .vou have 'tbf telephone wire systematically inspected?— 1 "No." ' Did you ever pjiy surprise visits to the prisoners'i—f l'es, continually." What about t>.ie tools the Germans had with them?-"Some of them were no doubt takej. from tho workshop." When vou.\ inteiviewed . General Robin, why (Id he tell you to go to Colonel Patejson?— "J do not know." Why did /he not lull you to go to Major Lilly'—"l do not know." Did you /onsult with Colonel Paterson about i'couomiijiug?—"l asked, his advice." How ion;; after the arrival of the Sea Alder's m?n did you make protest?— "Five or /,ix weeks." If you :kncw the See Adler's officors were such desperate and cunning men,

why did you allow them a free run of tbo island? —"I did not consider there was any barm in that Do not forget that I asked for extra men; and also .that too many restrictions must not bp placed on interned men." Did you make any representation that the reduction of the guard impaired the efficiency of the guard as a whole, that is up to the time the letter from tho Minister arrived?— •'Yes." Was that before or after ths scare? —"Afterwards." Do vou say that the placing of tho See Adier's officers with the men was dangerous?—"l say that was the cause of the trouble." When you forwarded Von Luckner's request asking for Frdmann to be sent up as orderly" why did you not protest against such' a course, and say it wa,s inadvisable?—" The fact remains. I did not protest in the letter 1 sent." Did Major Lilly say to vou that economy was not the paramount consideration?—" Yes." Who slept in the huts near the benzine More at the end of the. wharf ? —"Paul Hansen in one ar.d Mellert m the other." How much benzine was found io he missing?—" Three cases. I think." Regarding the letter from the Minister to Mrs. Latiggutb. did you protest against it?—"No, it is r.ot usual to protest against any action performed by the. Minister."

Mr. Tole read the Minister's letter to Mrs. Langgtith a? follows: — 1 am in receipt of a letter from Messrs. , solicitors, of Auckland, asking that permission may bo granted you to visit your husband at Motuihi Island. I cannot grant you more than the facilities that are granted to the wives of other prisoners of war,, namely, to visit Mr. Lanjguth onco in fourteen days at such hours as shall he in the discretion of the com- . mandaiit of Motuihi internment ' camp, to whom you should apply. This permission is, of course, subject to whatever facilities are available to convey visitors to the island. i Mr. Tole: Haw you been absent from Auckland on any occasion on pleasure,—"On two occasions only." Is that recorded in the official diary? —"No." Did you refuse naval cadets the use of their sextants —"Yes. The tfadets mado application for their boxes, which were on their ship at Samoa. 'J/ne sextants were in the boxes, but Headquarters refused to allow the cadets their instruments." How was it that the Germans were able to make a sextant. on Motuihi without being seen ?—"lf you had lived on the island you would. understand how it could have been done." Was the sextant made in the workshop?—"lt may have been." Did you pay surprise visits to the workshops?—"Cortainly I did." To Colonel Porritt: I made a verbal protest to the Minister against Erdmann being sent to Motuihi. I had no permission to keep the launch at the island, but all my superior officers knew I had it, and no instructions, to the contrary were given me.

To Colonel Slecman: Arms on issue to the.guard were kept in the.men* bedrooms. Snare rifles were kept in the arms chest in tlic sergt.-major's room, which was kept locked. I believe that one of the guard,' Private Hope Johnston, saw the launch at its moorings about fifteen minutes after I went, up from the wharf on the evening of the oscapcS In the report first, recording the escape r.o mention was made of cylinder caps being removed. To the president: Metals and tools would probahly be distributed among four sheds and two workshops on the island. The letter I sent forwarding Von Lucknor's reojiest for Erdmann to be sent un to Auckland was addressed to the adjutant-general. I had a feeling that. I was bound —no, was bound down—as to the number of guards. The provisions which the Germans took away with them probably would have been in a locker in the forepeak or under ths seats in the cockpit. Counsel addressed the Court, which adjourned till to-morrow, when the Judge-Advocate will sum up.