THE MOTUIHI ENQUIRY.

Hokitika Guardian, 12 February 1918, Page 3

THE MOTUIHI ENQUIRY.

THE COURT OF ENQUIRY.

[pee press association.—copyright.]

WELLINGTON, This Day

The Court of Enquiry into the responsibility of Colonel Patterson and Major Osborne Lilly, in the escape or German prisoners from Motuihi Island, sat at Wellington to-day.

Colonel Tate, Adjutant-General, said he took over frorg Colonel Pilkington on May 11th, 1916. Had no conversa. tion with him regarding the prisoners of

war. The President: Can you give us the general chain of responhibility ? Witness: The Minister is responsible to Parliament. The General is responsible to t]ie Minister. As far as my branch is concerned, I am responsible to ’the General. Then my directors are responsible to men. We are responsible to do that work which the General entrusts to us. The -Officer 1 Commanding the district is responsible j, to the General. The 0.0. D. commands the District, and nl] those ’ within it. and overvone within the district is responsible to him. Since the escape, he had seen a letter from Colonel Pilkington to Colonel Turner, appointing him commandant at Motuihi. Until then he had no reason to suppose the normal chain of responsibility had been in any way disturbed^ When witness was appointed, Capt. Skelly was assistant Adjutant-General and had charge of the prisoners of war. He had no conversation with Shelly regarding the prisoners. Lilly took over from Skelly. Lilly never made reports to him on the subject of prisoners.