MOTIUHI INQUIRY

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 125, 13 February 1918, Page 6

MOTIUHI INQUIRY

EVIDENCE CONCLUDED THE CHAIN OF RESPONSIBILITY HIGH OFFICERS AS WITNESSES The military Court of Inquiry which is making further investigation into tho escape of German prisoners from tho Motuihi, sat in Wellington yestiMlay. This inquiry has special reference to the responsibilities in regard to it of Colpnel G. W. S. Patterson, commanding Auckland military district, jnd Major J. Osburne Lilly, Director 'of Personal Services, General Headquarters. Tho members of the Court aro Colonel N. P. Adams, C-.M.G., Major H. A. Cooper, and Major W. H. Fletcher. Colonel Tate's Evidence. Colonel Tate, Adjutant-General, gave evidence. He said tnat he had taken over the office of Adjutaut-Gen-pral from Colonel l'ilkingtou. He had no discussion' with Colonel Pilkington regarding prisoners of war wlien he took over, the duties. Witness gavo the chain of responsibility as iollows: —Beginning at the top tho Minister is responsible to Parliament; the General is responsible to the Minister; I am' responsible to tho General; and any directors are responsible to me. As Adjutant-General, I, and my directors also, are staff officers only; wo have'no commands; we aro responsible only to do the work the General entrusts us with. The officer commanding a district is responsible to tho General, and not to the' Adjutant or any of the directors as puch. The responsibility flows through the staff to the General, so that the •■■'position almost arises as if the O.C.D. were responsible to the Adjutant-Gen-eral, although actually in fact that is not so, the Adjutant-General heing merely the mouthpiece of the General. The O.C.D. commands the district and all that is within it, and every unit commander or detachment commander in the district is responsible to the O.C.D. That is the normal chain of responsibility. ■Eeplying to a question witness said that not until ho had seen the letter of Colonel Pilkington appointing Colcinel Turner to the command at Motuihi, • did he know, tlmt tho normal chain had been disturbed (In this letter Colonel Turner was instructed to deal with District Headquarters i only respecting guard and supplies, and to communicate direct with General Headquarters regarding prisoners Df war.) He had never had anything to do with prisoners of war. Captain Skelley was Assistant Adjutant-Gen-eral when witness took over, and witness did not issue any instructions to him regarding prisoners of war. Captain Skelley carried on under witness for some time, until he was replaced by Major Lilly, and witness did not know whether Captain Skelley gave Major Lilly any instructions regarding prisoners of war. AVitness had never called for reports on prisoners of war from Major Lilly, but when difficulties arose Major Lilly would discuss them with him. Witness held Major Lilly fully responsible for the control of the prisoners of war branch. Colonel Tate made a short statement about the letter he wrote to Colonel Patterson. This letter ran as follows :—

I am very troubled about the internment at Motuihi, Island, and I have never had time to come and see it for myself. I must take responsibility for the whole show and ... it would be a : great comfort if I knew that if trouble does arise I could refer to you for replies to questions, etc. It is probable that you may havo ■ taken a very considerable interest ■ in it, and arc apprised of everything already, and I hope that this is so. Anyliow, keep a sharp look-out and let mo know beforehand, if you can, of snags that may be expected. Regarding this letter, Colonel Tate said: "At that time Parliament was either just ,'about to sit, or was sitting, and every ..Week questions were coming down to mo from' the Minister which had to he answered promptly and accurately. Some little time before this there had been a great deal of correspondence and, discussion as to the drinking facilities given to prisoners of war at Motuihi, and their facilities for going ashore, going to hotels, and so on, to the disturbance of tho public mind. This matter, I believe, liadbeen checked, but I was not quite certain that it 'had been thoroughly taken in hand. I fully expected to be bombarded with questions about this phase of Motuihi when Parliament met. It occurred to my mind one day to write to Colonel Patterson personally. I wrote to him personally, so that I ■might be sure that when questions did come np he would be apprised of what was going on, and would not have to -make investigation. Then I would be able to answer to Parliament. That is the reason why I wrote that letter. There is a passage in the letter— 'I must take responsibility for the whole show, and I fear trouble wlinji Parliament meets. , I say this now. lam responsible to tho General for prisoners of war, although I may not personally handle the matter, just as I am responsible to the General for tlie treatment of returned soldiers, although I do not handle that matter. The escape ot these prisoners is a slur on my Department. There is no question about that. lam responsible to the General. Who is responsible lower down is another story, but I can't shake myself freo of my responsibility." ... The president: Had you any reason for writing this letter to Colonel Patterson, and not to Colonel Turner?— "It was quite impqssible for me to look into all files and see to everything, and jiothing had been brought to my notice which caused me to imngino that tho normal chain of responsibility was not in existence. I wrote to Colonel Patterson asking him to keep a very sharp look-out on this tiling, which I thought might affect my Department. I wrote to him as being, in my opin- . ion then,' the proper person to write to. This is compatible with the view f had of the normal chain of responsibility." The president: Would not the collecting of that information have been a matter for the Director of Personal Services?—" Yes, probably it would; but I wrote that letter because this phase of the thing struck mp, at the momeni If I had sent a letter in the official way I should have written much the. same terms, but I should have sent the letter through the Director of Personal Services." The president: Was a report mad? to you that the launch was there?— "No; I was not aware that it was there." When was it brought to your knowledge that a private launch was at the i/sland"?—"At the timo of the escane."

any authority nsketl for or obtained from von for Colonel Turner to keep a launch there?—" No." Ceneral Robin in the Witness-box. Major-General Sir Alfred Robin said ■that he had not scon the letter appointing Colonel Turner until the trouble arose. Colonel Patterson put this question: Having seen that letter, are you still of opinion that the O.C.D. was responsible? General Robin: I am still of opinion *w. the normal chain of communica-

tion and responoibility is not upset in any way.

All witnesses were asked about a paragraph in. the letter by which instructions as to chain of responsibility were given to Colonel Turner. The letter had contained the follow- , ing paragraph, but it had been crossed out: "Adiniuistrativo correspondence should be addressed through District Headquarters, Auckland." Major-General Robin and Colonel Tait both said that they were unaware of the excision, and Colonel Gibbon, Chief of the General Staff, was called to give evidence on the point. Colonel Gibbon said that he could not remember the letter or the excision, but ho did remember discussion with Colonel Pilkingtpn on the subject of the control of interned prisoners. As he remembered the discussion Colonel Pilkington had the idea that tho Commandant of the Island was to deal with Headquarters on the subject of 'routine correspondence concerning; prisoners— inquiries for prisoners of war through the Prisoners of War Inquiry Bureau, matters relating to money for prisoners, censorship of letters, and so on— and that everything else was to be dealt with through the district. This was as witness understood 'fc at tho time, and he had no present recollection of the letter to appoint Colonel Turner and give him instructions coining before him at all. He had no recollection of ever having seen the letter until the present matter cropped up.

The O.C, Wellington District,

Colonel Hume, Commanding Wellington District, said that he had been in command of Auckland district from November, 1914, until May, 1916. Before Colonel Turner took over the command at the island, and afterwards, he had always considered that the island ■was under his command ns officer commanding the district. He had never had any orders to this effect, but he had always taken this to be the 'position. He did not think at the time that the letter of instructions to Colonel Turner disturbed the chain of communication in any way. He considered that he was in charge" of the island, and he held Colonel Turner to be responsible to Urn. for the discipline of the camp and for tho safeguarding of the prisoners of war. He was quite satisfied with the conduct of affairs there, and if there were occasions when he was not satisfied on particular points he was quite sure that he would tell Colonel Turner so. When he handed over the district command to Colonel Patterson he did not remember that he mado any remarks about Motuihi. He considered that it was simply a branch of the district, on which there was nothing calling for special mention. The president: If you were in direct control of the island, can you account for the fact that a, lot of correspondence concerning buildings and other matters were sent direct to General Headquarters by Colonel Turner, and that some of the correspondence in reply went direct to him and some of it to' District Headquarters?— That i»ay have been done, but I should say that Colonel Turner would have informed me with regard to that correspondence, and that if there was anything in it I would be bound to know of it. 1 have every reason to believe that La did tell me what he was doing in regard to correspondence with General Headquarters. Colonel Patterson: Did you not think that the letter appointing Colonel Turner was a bit ambiguous?— Well, it might have been. It' would he quite possible for another officer to take a view different from that taken by you?—Oh, yes, quite possible. I)oes Somes Island come under the jurisdiction of Wellington Military District ?t-No.

Can you explain why Motuihi should then come, under Auckland Mißtary District?—l have never raised tho question.. Sumes Island lias never been the subject of one word of discussion correspondence between Wellington District and Headquarters. When i came hero 1 considered it Vas a self-supporting unit, like Trentliam or Feathervton Camps. If certain prisoners got away from Somes Island to-night would you consider yourself responsible ?—I certainly should not. Are you aware how interment camps We conducted in England , ?—No, I have now looked the matter up. Colo'nel Patterson: They are conducted by the War OffiVe. I suppose you are not aware how they are conducted in Australia?— No. The president: And Somes Island ia in Wellington Military District!-'—Yes. If Somes Island does not come Tinder tho officer commanding the district, why should Motuihi?—lt seems to mo that is a. matter for Headquarters to answer. If you ask my opinion, I piesume the reason is that Somes Island is immediately in sight of Headquarters here, and can be communicated with read'ly by Headquarters, while Motuihi nan not.

You left a- district where there was an internment camp for which yon considered yourself responsible, and you carne to a district in which there was another internment camp. Did you not consider that this internment camp should also como under your jiirisdicki'rii as oin'cer commanding tho district?—l liavr> (riven that matter some thought. I had no instructions on tho point, and I take it that if Somes Island had been in my care I would have had some cnrrpspond"iice on it. This concluded the evidence of the inquiry. It may bp that sonin witness or witnesses will havo to be recalled, but that is not the present intention of the Court.