THE MISSING GERMANS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 278, 13 August 1918, Page 6

THE MISSING GERMANS

FOUND AT SOMES ISLAND

A STRANGE ESCAPADE

Tho four interned Germans who had been missing at Somes Island since Friday morning made their reappearance yesterday, 'l'iiey were found by the guard at 7.30 a.m. outside tho building from which they had disappeared, and their statement was to the effect that they had spent the three days in a space beneath tho floor. They were cold and hungry, and apparently not disposed to explain their escapade in detail.

The Defenco authorities had clung to an opinion that the men might bo found on tho island. The evidence seemed to be against iliem, after the careful searching of a reiuforced, guard had failed to discover tho missing prisoners. But there was a complete lack of evidence that the men had left the island in any sAt of craft, and tho attiixido ■of tlio other prisoners suggested all the time that there was a joke of some sort on foot.

~lt appears that after the officer in charge inspected the quarters early on Friday morning the four men lifted some boards in tho floor of the building they occupied, and slipped into the space underneath. -Whether or not they had assistance in this operation has still to be determined. Then, according to their own statement, they stayed in their chilly and uncomfortable hiding place until yesterday morning. They state tliev had no food during the .three days. This also is a subject for inquiry, but it is quite possible that s the increased strictness of the guard after Friday morning caised the breakdown of arrangements previously made for the supply of food to the four men, who may havo hoped to stay out of 6ight until tho search had been relaxed and then ■slip away to the mainland. The four men were brought across the harbour and lodged in the Terrace Gaol yesterday afternoon. They do not appear to havo committed any offence under civil law, but they are liable under military law to special detention for their breach of the regulations laid down for the control of internment camps. Tho four men are to spend a week or a fortnight in tho gaol before they are returned to Somes Island.

Tho net result of theij escapado has been to give the authorities, a great deal of trouble and increase iho severity of the conditions at Somes Island. Portions of the island formerly used by the .prisoners, including a sunny face where dugouts had been constructed by tho prisonqw, have been placed out of bounds. Tho tents that were used as sleeping places by some of iho 'prisoners have been struck, and all tho Germans on iho island spend their nights now in the wooden buildings where they can be kept under /nservation.