LOST DISPATCHES.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 February 1918, Page 7

LOST DISPATCHES.

\PT. WILSON'S EXPLANATION. FASCINATED BY THE i>A!RJ)A ■ INELLES. London, Nov. '27. Capt. Stanley Wilson, M.P., who was taken off a Greek ship by an Austrian submarine a couple of years ago, while carrying despatches its a King's Messenger, had a tortuous story to tell to the Military Court of Enquiry wliieh investigated"the affair at his own request. Capt. Wilson said that he left London on Nov'eniber 21, 1915, with despatches for Athens, Salonika, and the Dardanelles. He got as far as Messina, and then his only way forward, was to take a Greek eteamer, but that ' was not considered safe for a King's Messenger." After some days spent in trying to get away from Messina, he discovered that there was a British cruiser off Keggio with the Admiral's yacht waiting to steam to Malta. There was just time to catclv it, but the despatches, were locked up in the Vice-Consul's office, and being Sunday the Vice-Consul was at home i-t.wo miles away. 'Hr' went to Reggio and asked the'captain of the yacht to call at Messina on his way to Malta and pick up the despatches. The captain declined he was going to Malta direct, but as a matter of fact he did not sail till the next morning. *Had I known," said Capt. Wilson, "I should have had plenty of time to get the despatches." On the 29th the British Consul received a telegram from the Admiral Superintendent at Malta directing Capt. Wilson "to proceed immediately to Malta, as ordered." This messag» ended: "Italian steamer arrived at this morning from Syracuse. I quite expected him by that.' Why didn't he come?" "Unfortunately for me," said Capt. Wilson, "I had never heard of that steamer." Returning from Greece he left on 4th December on board a small Greek steamer called the Spetzai. He had previously telegraphed to the War Office and received instructions to take the next boat' leaving. The passengers inclutled Colonel Napier, Dr. and Lady Sibyl Findlay (Red Cross workers), and an American, Mrs. H . Capt. Wilson and Mrs. H became friendly. She told him she was doing woTk in a hospital in Grosvenor-square. They discovered that they had mutual friends In town, and the lady 'impressed me in every way aR a capable, reliable person." TJie second day out the Spetzai was stopped by a U-boat flying the Austrian flag. "I had about ten minutes to decide what I should do with my despatches." Mrs. H offered to take care of one, "and I came to tile conclusion that there was just a possible chance to save these despatches." "Then," said Capt. Wilson, "[ took the heaviest bag to the opposite side of the ship to which the submarine was lying. It was so heavy that I had to use two hands to it as 1 heaved it overboard, convinced that it would instantly sink, To my horror'it floated. If that bag with its great weight would not sink I knew it would be hopeless to j throw the others overboard."

"What happened to the bag?" asked tlie President. ./'When T last saw it," was the reply, %t was level with the water." On Ist January, he added, lie saw in the German papers copies of some of the letters which had been in the bag. The despatches he had left in charge of Mrs. II were safely delivered to (lie War Office in London, and the lady officially thanked for her assistance. Two other bags were delivered by Dr. Findlav. Sir Francis Elliott,'H.M. Minister at Athens, said he thought that the bag he handed to Capt. Wilson would have snnk. Among other things, it contained some Christmas presents, including a bronze statuette and an old pistol. Col. Arthur Robert' Dick, who is in command of the King's Messengers at the War Office, said he gave orders to Capt. Wilson to go to Malta, instead of which he went to Athens. He had two opportunities to go to 'Malta, "I nevCT told you jthat your despatches were io urgent as to "make you take undue risks," said Col. Dick. "You should have gone to Malta without any further reference to the War Office." Capt. Wilson: Am I not under War Office orders?— You were under my orders. '

Did you give ma orders,'' asked Oapt. Wilson, "that I was not to travel by a Greek steamer?"—"l cannot swear tliat" was the reply; "but I told you distinctly that it was very unsafe." Colonel Dick was telling Oapt. Wilson point blank that lie had disobeyed ordors when the President cleared the Court.

THE 'PRESIDENT'S QUESTIONS. At the resumed enquiry, the President asked Captain Wilson whether, when he was. at Messina, and found "communications with Syracuse difficult, he did not ftonsider the advisableness of leaving for Malta via Marseilles, which three others had done.

Capt. Wilson: I did, but I thought it. my first duty to telegraph to the Ambassador at Rome, knowing that there was an Italian steamer supposed to be sailing the following day. I proposed to take the Italian steamer, with my despatches, to Athens.. The despatches were all for Athens and beyond. The War Office replied directing 'him to take the boat to Athens if that left before the Malta boat. He did not agree that when he went across from Messina to Keggio to ascertain if he could go to Malta, by a British warship the reasonable thing to have done would have been to take the despatches with him instead ot leaving tliem with the Vica-Consul. A PERSONAL STATEMENT. Capt. Wilson in a personal statement, said lie considered that the evidence of Sir Francis Eliot absolved him from blame for the loss of the Foreign Office hag. "It appears to me that the charges and the allegations made against me and the stories to my discredit which I heard as so 6» as I arrived in England after twenty months' captivity in Austria, emanated from Colonel Dick, and I hope the Court will agree with ,me that thi>-e charges are based upon a complete misapprehension by Colosiel Dick_ of the facts. I. do wish 'most em-, phatically to deny that I ever mentioned the name of the Prime Minister in anv conversation with him. Tt never entered my mind to consult Mr. Asipiith I had no desire to go to Athens rather than to any other place, although 1 did fxpress to Col. Dick my desire to hif allowed to carry despatches to Mem], quarters at the 'Dardanelles as other messengers had done. This was my third trip out East, and each previous time I had been stonped at Athens. Other messengers hnd gone on to the Dardanelles. I felt some natural curiosity, and I should have liked to have a look at the Dardanelles." THE WAR OFFICE TELEGRAM. He was just as anxiouß as anyone not to travel with despatches upon a Greek

ship if A could be avoided. He was entitled to assume that the War Office was aware of the objections to travelling on a Greek boat. In any event, he was bound to accept these telegrams as his orders from the War Oflice. He certainly was not aware that the telegram was despatched without the authority or the knowledge of Colonel Dick. "Rightly or wrongly," added Capt. Wilson, "I took the view that where there was a War Oflice and Admiralty conflict, it was my duty to follow the orders of the War Office, especially as the Admiralty Superintendent at Malta was unnware that the service of boats from Sicily to Malta was suspended, and the only way of proceeding to Malta was via Marseilles. I submit that I was right in the course I took in going to Athens." That did not result in the loss of his dispatches, because he delivered them to the British Minister and received return orders for the journey home. "I can only regret that ColDick should have refused, as I emphatically state that he did refuse to listen to my personal statement at my interview with him on my return to England on ,11st August, and that he should have made £he charges he has made against me without reading the careful report which I submitted, giving' a detailed account of tte whole of the circumstances." .......

The Court then adjourned indefinitely, the President remarking that ii would take some time t 0 consider the case. The President added: "We appreciate the clear way in which yom, Wilson, have stated the facts, and- Vce appreciate your apparent desire to' assist 1 the Court to arrive at a true conclusion."