New Zealand.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 293, 9 December 1914, Page 5

New Zealand.

THE AUSTRALASIANS'. ALL IN CAMP NOW. Per Press -Association. Auckland, December 8. In the course of a speech to-night, the Premier stated that he had received the following cable from General Godley:— “Expeditionary force completed its disembarkation , yesterday. All are now in camp.”

TO HELP RECRUITING.

AN ENTHUSIASTIC MEETING.

Pahiatua, December 9

A public meeting to assist the authorities in the recruiting movement was addressed by Major Crewe and Captain Clifton. Several recruits were enrolled. It was decided to hold a patriotic demonstration on election night, a.nd also to organise entertainments in order to accelerate recruiting. The defence authorities are to be asked to remove restrictions on newspapers from reporting the doings and movements of men in camp. The meeting was enthusiastic and cheered the recruits, and the National Anthem was sung. Many ladies attended. It is proposed to form a roughriders’ corps. * A CORRECTION. Wellington, December 8. The member of the Samoan force who was mentioned in the telegram yesterday from Auckland as receiving 90 days’ imprisonment, for theft and drunkenness was not Private Morton, but ex. Sergeant Morton Rogers, of the Army Service Corps.

THE SAMOA EXPEDITION. MINISTERIAL STATEMENT. ■ , t Wellington, December 8. In an interview, the Hon. F. Alii. Fisher denied the statement madeby the Alel bourne correspondent of the Sydney Sun regarding the New Zealand Government’s hurry to get away the expedition to Samoa, and characterises it as ridiculous as it was inaccurate. The force- for Samoa, he says, was sent at the date fixed by the Admiralty. The New Zealand Government at no stage asked for the assistance of any ship or ships of the Australian Navy. The Imperial authorities realised that the Samoan wireless station was the key for information, keeping the German ships forewarned of all that was going on, and the necessity for hastening away the force was to cut off this most useful and reliable source of information. The New Zealand transports sailed from New Zealand to Noumea without any Australian convoy at all, and had Admiral Patey been in close contact with the German ships he could have left the New Zealand transports with perfect safety at Noumea, and continued tracking down the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau.