DEMOCRATIC PROTEST.

Hokitika Guardian, 9 January 1920, Page 3

DEMOCRATIC PROTEST.

U.-BOAT CAPTAIN IS RELF.ASKD LONDON December 1. The story of the arrest imprisonment and final release of Captain Kaiserwetter commander of the German submarine which sank the British hospital ship Glenn rt. Castle discloses a -Avidia difference of opinion between • i-h Government departments as to what rights the Allied Powers have to punish the perpetrators' of wanton wnr-

Ijhij Government legal department held that England had no right to detain Kaisenvetter during the life of the armistice while the Admiralty officials believed that they had the. right to arrest such offenders any .time and hold them for trial nffey peace. wns declared.

After the signing of the armistice fCaisenvettpr went to Spain where he obtained passports for his return to Germany. He made the mistake however of landing at Falmouth where he expected to board a vessel for the BnlUc. Admiralty officers at Falmouth arrested him and brought him secretly to the Tower of London. Friends of Tvaiserwetter appealed to the Government legal department, which found that England was not entitled to arrest him until peace had been declared. This decision lias negatived much of the work the Admiralty lias, done pi tracing the perpetrators, of the more barbarous submarine warfare. In view of the great amount of secret work d' ne mi various eases of this kind the Kaisenvetter ruling came as a bombshell to Admiralty officers.