WANGANUI BARRACKS SCANDAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 December 1918, Page 5

WANGANUI BARRACKS SCANDAL.

TO CRITICISM. ....'-■■ Wanganui, Dec. 12. The Wanganui detention barracks scandal is causing widespread interest, and in view of certain statements having b«en published concerning Lieutenant * Crampton's conduct at' Samoa and his being court-martialled in respect to an assault on a woman, he made the following explanation to a Herald representative!—."He said he was appointed to Samoa as Provost Marshal, Judge ©I the Native Courts, Secretary of Native Affairs, and, later, Inspector-General tit Police and Prisons, by virtue of which he was also a 'Magistrate in the German courts. There were two prevailing fea« tureg—Prussianism and houses of ill* fame. The latter, which were seriously affecting the health, of the troop* and civil population. The German elament on; the Island were Ignoring thft'ndM and regulations issued by proclamation, and generally were doing as they liked. The> ; stand that he took was to clean th« island of both theso evils by the internment of Germans who disobeyed, the Regulation?, and by suppressing the houses of ill-fame and deporting the occupants to another island. The .one duty came under his military rank', and the other under hia civil capacity. In performing many of these duties he would have to carry out work which in New Zealand' was performed by a constable, as tha main staff of the civil police composed. Natives, who, in the performance -of tlieduties ho had undertaken were of little use. Tha carrying out of these two tasks earned for him the extreme hatred. Of the German elements, strongly supported by their nympthisers, who trero many, and some in influential positions. From the first he had a Btiff uphill fight. He, was informed in their usual secretive mehtod that if he came up against a certain organisation they would.have him out of the country within a month. The assault on a woman referred to occurred during his investigation of a bni" tal assault on a girl committed by. this woman with a knife. She was defying all authority, and was trying to put him off the promises, and it was. only to avoid contact with her that he put out his walking-stick, which was technically an assault, The incident provided an opening for tho Germans and their sympathisers to put in operation the schemes against himself, and they took full advantage of it. The court-martial wt» brought off on his own application, the result of which was a reprimand for a technical assault. He denied thero wn» either foundation or truth in the other allegations and innuendoes against l ih. ehnracter. In conclusion, he Tonurkrd that the fact that he was retained in the service of the .Defence Department nr.rt upon his return to New Zfalsnd w&s f-lvon important positions, showed tint tha authorities did not rejar-l tlio • charges made against him at Samoa a? being serious."