LIFE ON SOMES ISLAND.

Taihape Daily Times, 11 October 1919, Page 7

LIFE ON SOMES ISLAND.

JUSTICE CHAPMAN’S INVFSTI GATIONS.

\VELL'INGTON( Oct. 9

This afternoon-Sll‘ Jae. Allen laid on the ta:blc,o.f the I-louse the repol‘t of Justice ~Ch:‘..plnan on his illvesti:;u.tions into the charges of alleged illtreatmcnt of German prisoners On Somes Island. The judge stm:-es: ——- The inquiry naturally falls into three categories: (1) The alleged ill-treat-ment to which Major Matheson is ac.cused of being a party; (2) Allegations of ill-treatment by guards, most of whom are absent from New Zealand; (3 Allegations which do not amount to ill—tl'eatment.

In sumniing up for the first oi‘ t‘-gese, Justice Chapman Says: I have in general found an absence of evidence to suport the case that Major Matheson is a man naturally disposed to illlreat men.‘ On the 07,1101‘ hzmd. I found much evidence pointing to at desire to do everythiiig wii-:1i11 his power to preserve the health, con..‘r‘ort and well-being of the men ecmmitteql to his cliarge. I noticed many cases in which he pressed for concessions. failure to obtain which would have left the men less comfortable than they are. A notable instance of this i: the I'ation scale. I have evidence even of -the men who are. making ‘the charges of acts of kindness on Mat‘neso.n’s part which negative a molieiousdesire to ill-treat" men. The cases of €L1l(:§;0d ill—treatmc-nt. in genera’: may tlierefore be regarded as cases of enforcing. (liscipline, pcrhaps at times Rvith se=;-'cr»-it)’. In any conflict of evidence Math» eson stands generally at a disadvantage in that so many members of -his staff whose names are mentioned. have gone abroacl on service.

Under "the second hnzlding thojudge says. “I have no reason to think that in any case the guardvs picked a man out for ill-treatment. but that 1-hey were prpbably over rough in humming men who I'esistecl‘dis'3i[~li.nary puuis‘-.1-mcnf. In such cases it is e\'t.n-nuely diflicult to sift cont:-ac}sctory evidcncré or to decide how many gmdes there are between ‘UIO using ‘of ner=,ssal;v force to overcome 1-esmzance -mfl of

using unnecessary violence agsziust 3. man who is resisting.” (‘Under the third heading, the jtmgc considers the prisOn'el'S were in some instancs made to do work which tlmy should. not have been called upon -to do, such as road making, beyond making tfaCkS' for their own use, <'a2-z‘_\'-ing up provisions and Water for the

icamp, and tending tilelVego‘§':lb}3 garden_ On the subject of food he I":eund the quantity supplied was fldellUE3.'t3 but inevitably monotonous in character, On the subject of enfol‘c-ement of discipline he found consldcrable conltroversy but ‘agrees that Methcsoxi .was justified in not aeeeptiilgz :1 (respectful demeanonr from the prisonlers than from his own’ men. Continu|ing, he says: “One thing appears Ipretty certain, that from the discirlinary measures enforced an observer ‘could not fail to be struck with the fact that the men were under discip-' lline which cannot but "be for their ‘good now, though won at some cost [to themselves.” There is a variety of‘ [other points discussed in -the report,‘ jbut under the heading “irritating ‘language? the judge finds that on lAugust 16,‘ 1916, Mathesnn used di:re- I spectful expressions respecting the German Emperor when addressing a large body of prisoners of war. "From. no point of view,” he says, “can, this be justified and this Major ltiathesonl admits.” The judge makes various re- _ commendations for the E)(3ttCl'lll<ilt of‘ -the prisoners’ conditions and concludes:—~“ln most Jitatters I had imposed on me the painful task of l.isten— ‘ ing to a contest between men who throughout exhibited much bitterness towards each other, freely iniputing bad faith and other offences. Ir.‘ all my career I do not think I have seen so much evidence of bitterness ‘Rlld animosity. I have -to do my best .:-'n the circumstances and can only say that to the best of my ability I have} done so."' I