GERMANS IN WELLINGTON.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 19, 22 January 1916, Page 21

GERMANS IN WELLINGTON.

A MEMOBY OF 1>390. j . VISIT OF A HUN FLEET. it may be taken for granted that for many years there have been carefully preserved in the archives of Germany complete plans of the Wellington Harbour, containing all information that is likely to prove of any value—except, perhaps, details concerning the more modern defences, says the Wellington '•Evening Post." On November IG, 1890, there arrived in Wellington Harbour, from Sydney (so records the "Evening Post" of that date), three German -warships—the Leip6ig (flagship), the composite corvette cruiser Sophie, and the screw corvette Alexandrine. They were under the command of Admiral Valois, and the captains of the respective ships were Captains Eoetzer, Harbing, and Schneider. The British man-o'-war Curacoa ■was in port at the same time. The arrival of the three -warships created considerable in social circles, and the people of Wellington set themselves the pleasurable task of extending to the visiting foreignera a most hospitable welcome. From the accounts supplied in the "Post" they seem to have succeeded most thoroughly. The men-o'-war were in these waters from November 16 to DeceiilDer 10; their officers and men were feted on every possible occasion; and there only remains to be told what the Germans weTe doing during the three sseeks they were the guests of the city. When the warships arrived here, the Leipsig "anchored nearest To Aro, some distance from the shore; the Alexandrine off Thoradon; and the Sophie -ay in the centre." They were immediately visited by Mr. A. F. Castendyk, ViceConsul for Germany; Mr. F. A. Krull, the Consul-in-Chief, having taken up lie residence in Wanganui. Admiral Valois landed, and called formally upon Governor Onslow. A few quiet days were spent. The first Thursday, November 20, -was devoted to a picnic at Pigeon Bush, Featherston, on which, occasion the visiting officers, with several' ladies, the •whole party numbering about one hundred, were the guests of the Governor. A special train conveyed the party over the Rimutakas, and a very pleasant time was spent. The next day the squadron Bailed out of the harbour and "had some heavy gun practice at Ealliser Bay." The following day, Friday, was spent in a most interesting way for the Germans, and no doubt the people ashore obtained some entertainment aleo' m •watching the warships. Says the "Post": "The German, squadron weighed j anchor this morning, and have been engaged all day in cruising about the harbour. A number of movements have been executed, the ample sheet of water enabling them to move about with ease. The movements of the foreign warships hay.. boon viewed from the shore with grrat interest." The following day the piubi" waß anchored much more closely A o "Waterloo Quay than before, and

the Sophie and Alexandrine also had both drawn nearer to land. That day the Admiral and several of his officers visited the Wellington races, where the band of one of the ships contributed music. On the Sunday the vessels wire thrown open to the public, who visited them chiefly per medium of tae Mona and the Torea, many other people piilling out in row-boats.

At sunrise on Monday, November 24,1 the Leipsig left to go again to Pai!iser | Bay for big gun practice, but, a strong southerly springing up, she altered her. intention, and instead the nquadron "executed a number of manoeuvres in, the vicinity of Somes Island." Howj little they recked that one day, a quarter of a century later, 250 of their kinsmen would be prisoners of war on the island, and that no rescuing German { cruiser would be afloat on any of the seas to offer them hope of relief. For! the succeeding few days the warships! were manoeuvring at torpedo practice in the harbour, and crew and officers were being entertained in the evenings ashore. The citizens of Wellington honoured them with a grand 'ball, at which his Excellency the Governor and the leading people of the colony wero present; the Wellington Club also held a ball in their honour; the German olonists organised another dance; and 200 of the crew were similarly entertained at a further function. On December 5 Admiral Valois went through, by train, to Wanganui; and on December !) a number of officers were taken to Otaki to see the Maori settlements, "and were interested in all they witnessed." The warships on December 0 received a relieving .set of officers -who had arrived from Sydney by the Tekapo, th-ose replaced leaving immediately for Germany on fu^pugh.

Before the warships sailed, on December 10, Admiral Valois told a "Post" representative that he was "highly impressed with the advantages which the Wellington Harbour possessed. During the stay of the German equadron at this port torpedo and gunnery practice has been gone through within the limits of the harbour, without the slightest inconvenience to the mercantile shipping, and we are assured that such a thing •was not possible in Sydney, which has Outherto been regarded as an excellent man-o'-war rendezvous. It is very possible that the Admiral will report in very favourable terms to the authorities in Germany regarding the advantages of our harbour, and it is said to be not unlikely that the squadron w-11 pay us another visit about July next."

It would be venturesome to Btate definitely that Germany, in pursuance of tihe idea of world conquest which later became her obsession, had at that date deliberately intentions of visiting this port to obtain first-hand details regarding the harbour, its depths and dangers, its fortifications, and particulars of the surrounding country. But it is obvious that in tie course of the various manoeuvrings that took place inside the harbour, and at that entrance en route several times to Palbser Bay, there was ample opportunity for the officers to make complete surveys. The Admiral also had trips up .both lines of railway.

And strange to say—or, perhaps it is scarcely strange, or even a coincidence — in the "Post" of December 1, during the time the squadron wne in Wellington, there appeared these lines: ''It is announced that Admiral Lord Charles Scott would not be unwilling to remove the headquarters of the Australasian Squadron of the British Fleet from Sydney to New«ZealanJ."

In connection with the above account it is interesting to recall that a corrpspondenf—"Q'' —a gentleman who ie still a resident of Wellington, wrote at the time to the paper pointing out that during their three weeks' stay here "the three huge veesels" had been skimming about the harbour, entering early in the morning in pinnaces every cranny and corner, and, no doubt, checking every soundings and location of anchorages, fortifications, and different features of the defensive possibilities; and that they had done the same in PaUiser Bay. Otherwise it was asked why were they perpetually on the move about the harbour, when British men-o'-war, when they came here, lay calmly and peacefully at anchor for weeks together.