GERMAN PRISONERS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 272, 13 August 1919, Page 6

GERMAN PRISONERS

AWAITING DISPOSAL IN NEW ZEALAND

THE SAMOAN PLANTERS

ihe German prisoners held in New Zealand avo still awaiting the final decision regarding their disposal. Some of them havo undergone a slight change of status. They have ceased to be prisoners of war, and havo become military internees. But they must remain in the detention camps until the peace proclamation is issued and the provisione of tho Peaeo Treaty become fully effective. Somo of tho prisoners came originally from Samoa, whero they were employed in official capacities or as planters at the time of the occupation. The disposal of these men, with their families, may prove to lie a matter of some difficulty. Several of tho families remain in Samoa, others are in Now Zealand. The Sanioan Administration will not be willing to receive tliem back, but tho authorities may decide that civilian internees should bo given an opportunity to settle up their affairs.

The Peace Treaty provides that in! tho case of Samoa and other territories taken from Germany, property formerly owned by Germans shall pass into the hands of the new Governments, Germany becoming liable to pay compensation to tho dispossessed owners. It appears that under this provision, tho Administration to be sot up in Samoa under .tho mandate will remain in possession of the German plantations. Tho formor. German owners, some of whom are now held in internment in New Zealand, will have to go to Berlin for the compensation to which they may bo entitled. The clauses of the Feaco Treaty dealing with this point .have not been published fully in New Zealand. They are stated to bo detailod and explicit. ■

The prisoners include a few Germans Bout to New Zealand from Fiji during tlie war. Tho Fijian Administration thought it advisable to deport all German residents, naturalised or otherwise, and some of them wcro brought to this country. Their disposal remains to be settled- \

Another group of enemy internees are those who wish to remain in New Zenland. These men, speaking generally, were domiciled in this country when the war began. They were interned either because they were of military age or because they were considered to have shown anti-British leaningß. Some of them have property and businesses in the oountry and are married to New Zealand women,