WANGANUI BARRACKS SCANDAL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 67, 13 December 1918, Page 4

WANGANUI BARRACKS SCANDAL

LIEUTENANT CRAMPTON REPLIES TO CRITICISM. By Telcgraph.-Special Correspondent, _ Wanganui, December 12. the \\ anganui detention barracks sea in d.al is causing widespread interest, and in view of certain statements having been published concerning Lieutenant Crampton's conduct at Samoa and his being court-niartialled in respect to an, assault on a woman, he made the following explanation to a "Herald" representative:—"He said 'no was appointee! to Samoa as' Provost Marshal, Judge of the Native Courts, Secretary of Native Affairs, and later Inspector-General of ■Police and Prisons,- by virtue of which he was also a Magistrate in the German courts. There were two prevailing features— Prussianism and houses of illtame. The latter, which were sqriouslv affecting the health of the troops and civil population. The German elemenc on the island were ignoring the wiles and regulations issued by proclamation, and generally were doing as. they liked. Ihe stand that he took was to clean {ho island of both these evils bv the internllient of Germans who disobeved tie regulations, and by suppressing the Houses at ill-fame and deporting the 00, cupants to another island. The one duty came under his military rank and the other under his civil capacity. In performing many of these- duties, lie would have to carry out work which in i l v i toltm<l wis performed by a constab.e, as the main staff of the civil police comprised Natives, who in the performance .of the duties he had undertaken were of little use. The carrying out ot these two tasks earned for him the extreme hatred of the German elmenls. strongly supported bv their svmpathisers, who were many, and some in influential positions. . From the first lis had a stiff uphill fight. He was. informed in their usual secretive method that if he came up against a certain or-ganisation-they would have him out of the country within a month. The assault on a woman referred to occurred during his investigation of a brutal assault on a. girl committed bv the woman with a knife. She was defying all authority, and was trying to put him' off the premises, and it was only In avoid contact with her that he put out his walking-stick, which was tec.brkally an assault. The incident provided an opening for the Germans and their sympathisers to put in operation the schemes against himself, and they took.full advantage of it. The court-martial was brought about on his own application, the result of which was a reprimand for a technical assault. He denied there was either foundation or truth in the other allegations and innuendoes against his character. In conclusion', he remarked that the fact,- that-he wns retained in the service of the Defence Department and upon his return to New Zealand was given important positions, showed that the authorities did not regard the charges made against him at Samoa as being serious."