THE GERMAN ESCAPEES.

Hokitika Guardian, 19 December 1917, Page 1

THE GERMAN ESCAPEES.

COURT OF ENQUIRY. WELLINGTON December 17. The. following is the Order ol RelorP2ieo of the Court of inquiry into the circumstances of the eseape from Motuilii Island of the eleven German prisoner s of war : (1) To investigate and report upon the eiraitnstancos under which certain prisoners of war and interned civilians escaped from the internment camp on Mohuiti Island on or about December 13th., 1917. (2) To report whether, in the opinion of the Court such escape is attributable to any neglect of duty on the nart of any officer, noncommissioned officer, or soldier of the New Zealand Defence Forces. (3) To report oil the steps (if any) taken to remedy matters brought to the notice of the commandant at Motuilii Island in a letter from General Headquarters, dated November 27th. ( 1917, a copy of which is attached. (4) To investigate and report upon any other matter appurtenant to this enquiry. Motuilii Island, from which the German prisoners made their escape, is in the Hauraki Gnlf eight miles from the Auckland wharves. It was formerly a quarantine station. POPULAR INDIGNATION. WELLINGTON December 16. Popular indignation about the eseape of the Germans from Motuilii, is going to demand very much more than the suspension of the commanding officer (Lieut. -Colonel Harcourt Turner). This affair lias not happened without warning. It hay been said lor a long time that these, higher grade prisoners at Motuilii have enjoyed privileges to which no prisoner of war should be entitled and that the discipline of the island has never been ay stringent as it should have been.

The men got away in a launch, kept at the island by the officer commanding. The boat lias been before referred to as a source of danger, and now the danger lias materialised. No launch i s kept at Somes island. H communication with the shore is needed a boat goes off from the shore to the island and comes back to the shore again. 11l the ease of Motuilii the launch was kept moored at- the island.

Reference lias been made before to the fact that insufficient guard has been kept on the telephone wire—the first thing that fugitives would attempt to destroy. These men cut the wire and so obtained a start of some hours. . The affair is the, more incxplamablo having regard to the class of prisoners detained ft Motuilii. The man von Lutzow had already been on a most daring venture before he was placed on Motuilii. and he was the sort of man who would he sure to do bis best to escape. As a matter of fact, lie is a cheerful typo of seafarer, of- whom we might be proud enough if ho were on' our side—a man who will give, his pursuers a lively chase. . The party, it is believed, has not tried to get away from the New Zealand coast in a motor launch—that would he folly of wfhich no sailor would he guilty. The men’s aim will, he to get hold of another ship—a sailer for preference—and make off in thaU As it happens, at almost any hour of the day or night defenceless small sailers are moving in the Hauraki Gulf. It is to lie assumed that that chief anxiety of the authorities,is to prevent these Germans from getting a seaworthy boat and making for tlie open sea. DESCRIPTION OF ESCAPEES. Tlu> official description of the escapees is as follows? — Count von Lutzow—64, oft. 10 ms, clean shaven, speaks broken English,, walks stiffly wearing a blue uniform khaki cap ivitli German naval badge. Lieut. Kercheiss—oft. 7in, talks firstclass English wearing a sailor’s uniform Von Egidy—oft. 7i n, stoops slightly, board and smoustho'lu*. ilhsigniheantlooking. Freund—Wireless engineer, oft om., stout, clean shaven, fair, blue eyes, hardly understands English, in plain clothes. Guinn—Wireless operator, tall, clean shaven, very dark complexion, slightly made Erdmann—3o, oft. Bin., fair, brown eyes, talks good English, wearing sailor’s uniform. The following are wearing naval cadet’ s uniform: Von Zatorski—23, 6ft, blue eves. .Schmidt 23, oft. lOin black Hair, brown eyes. Mol lor t—23,, oft. Bin. brown hair, hint eyes, clean shaven very strong. Paulsen- —21, very light brown hair, blue eyes, evloan shaven talks English \vell; might pass for Englishman. Kliolui—23, oft. lOin dark brown hair brown eyes, clean shaven, hardly talks English .

further particulars, the scow MOa. AUCKLAND, Dec. 18. The captured scow Moa, mentioned in a previous message, is 9-1 loot in length, with a not tonnage of 99 tons. She wa s the-biggest scow trading regularly to Auckland with timber from tlio Tauranga district. At the. time of the presumed capture she had a full cargo of timber, totalling some 80,000 feet, valued at about £SOO. The Moa is stated tn have been in a perfect condition, as she had been completely overhauled only about six months ago. Her speed, with a good fair wind, would he about ten knots, and she would he quite capable of undertaking a trip to Sydney or any of the islands. Though she has on board a donkey engine for handling cargo, she has no auxlinry power, and this fact should tend to make her capture more easy. It is reported from one source that she has taken the launch aboard, and from another that a. launch has bee n picked up by the scow that first sighted her after she had been captured. It is confidently anticipated by a number of people tliat if tbe did board the Moa, there should now he no difficulty in effecting their recapture; but as against that it has to ho borne in mind that not very long ago a- vessel, practically derelict, and whose general position was supposed to have been known drifted about for over forty days before she was finally picked up. THE ENQUIRY OPENS. VERY LAX PROCEDURE. [IM-’.Tt rKF,SS ASSOCIATION. —COPYEIGHT.] AUCKLAND, Dec. 18. A Court of Enquiry into the escape of eleven German prisoners of war from Motuilii Island on Thursday evening last, was commenced to-day. The President read a letter from the Minister of Defence to the Camp Commandant, dated November 2/th. last, directing attention to tbe fact that certain circumstances in connection with the guard at Motuilii Island had caused him some concern.

'file Minister further states that at the time of his visit tlie guard was unarmed, and - that, in his opinion,- arms wore not kept in a safe place, and that munitions, though under lock and key, were not guarilcc|. The Commanaa'nt was asked -to answer a set of questions bearing on this subject, and also what supervision was exercised over incoming parcels and letters, and tbe guarding of the telephone line. Liout.-Col. C. H. Turner, Camp Commandant, in evidence said, when he took over the camp from Captain Winthrop, lie received no information and there was no establishment laid down, it being apparently left to tlie Commandant to employ tlie number of men lie deemed necessary.

The average, establishment lie had until September last was 300 of all races, divided into four standing guards, each consisting of a. lancecorporal and four men. Of the four standing guards, one guard should be on duty, one guard just off duty, one guard next for duty, and the fourth guard finding two men on patrol duty and fatigue if noeossarv.

. Each guard had always one man on leave. The guard was on duty for twenty-four hours, a patrol remaining out during the daytime, and the guards were then armed. Details were, given of the disposition of the. guards and patrols, and the arrangements when launches visited the island. There were two telephone lines on to the island, one from Auckland and one from Waiheke on the ordinary over head prnciple. There. was no paricular order regarding it, though the patrol would have it under observation jn their rounds. There were connections to the Commandant's house, and farmhouse; but it was only possible to communicate with Auckland and Waiheke through the guardroom communicator. All parcels and letters going to the island were examined, and outward letters censored either by the Postal Censor or himself.

At ono time l prisoners were allowed to visit their wive s n Auckland; but this had been stopped months ago. Visitors to prison«r R had ito obtain passes from the 0.C.D., or himself,. He himself discontinued this, and had issued very few passes. Witness quoted a specific ease in which a pass had been given bv a liglier authority to a woman to visit her husband after Colonel Paterson and witnes s had refused it. In interviews husband and wives were allowed to go alone together. Tn other eases it depended on who the visitor was. Witness stated that, on July last General Robin bad asked birq if it wore possible to reduce the guards on the score of economy, and after consideration. witness decided that the only way was to reduce the standing guards and institute a system of military patrols, who usually wore unarmed. Headquarters were informed of the change. An extra man attended at the wharf when the launch was there, he being unarmed, though the number of prisoners increased to 80, most were civilians. Nearly all were from Samoa. The enquiry was adjourned.

THE GERMAN ESCAPEES. PUBLIC INDIGNATION. (Our Special Correspondent) Wellington', Dec 17 The one topic that is being- discussed in the city to-day is the escape of the German prisoners from Motuilii Island. Until the appearance of the morning papers containing a message from Auckland giving further particulars of the incident it was generally assumed that the escapees had displayed some extraordinary ingenuity and daring in getting away, but now it seems they simply had to take advantage of the opportunity thrown into their hands by the officer responsible for their safe custody.

This officer having been suspended and a military court having been set up to inquire into, the affair it would be improper to attempt just yet to apportion the blame for what has happened, but it is reported that during his recent visit to the island the Minister of Defence commented upon the inadequacy of the provision made for the security of the prisoners and asked for a report from the Commandant of the Forces on the subject. Probably this report was in course of preparation when the catastrophe occurred. That, at any rate, is the story going around town and whether it is true or not it is certain, even from the meagre information supplied by tlie authorities, there has been gross carelessness on somebody’s part. A CANDID FRIEND. On Saturday morning the “ Dominion,” which will not be suspected of magnifying the shoitcomings of the Government nor of wishing to create unnecessary alarm, frankly recognised the gravity and significance of the occurrence. “The event makes it painfully clear,” it said, “ that our authorities have been culpably slack in dealing with at least one nspect of the enenw alien problem, and certainly gives no ground for confidence that other measures for dealing with the enemy in our midst have proved effective.” This, it may be observed, was written before the disquieting “official explanation ” from Auckland was available. “ The serious responsibility resting on the officer in charge of the island,” the “ Dominion ” went on to say, “ is shared by his superiors as well as by his subordinates. It is one of the first demands of the situation that exemplary punishment should be inflicted upon those who permitted the prisoners to escape.” This is only a mild expression of the indignation that is being voiced by the public to-day and if popular opinion had the settlement of the matter something very close to hanging would be awaiting some one.