VISIT DISALLOWED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 85, 11 April 1938, Page 9

VISIT DISALLOWED.

FORT AT RIPA ISLAND. VOX LUCKNER DISAPPOINTED. (By Teleyrnph—Press Association.) CHRISTCHL'RCH. Sunday. Count von Luckner was refused permission by the Defence authorities to-day to visit Ripa Island, where he was imprisoned for 11!> days during the war. He said this evening that lie was keenly disappointed at the refusal, and intended to send a telegram to the Minister of Defence, Hon. Jones, askin" permission to make the visit.

"I know I will get it." he said. "I was very disappointed indeed. I had no wish tV> sre the fort. I merely wished to revisit and show my wife the cabin where I spent 119 weary days during the war. I will never be coming here again, and this is the only opportunity 1 shall have to see ray old cell. I was not going to look at the fortifications, and at any rate I know every inch and everv stone of the island "

Colonel P. H. Bell, officer commanding the Southern Military Command, said to-niglit that instructions isstied by military headquarters stated that 110 civilian should be allowed to land at Ripa Island, and in refusing permission he simply carried out these instructions. The instructions did not apply to islands at Auckland, which were not a military area.