ARREST OF MR. PAUL HANSEN

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2751, 20 April 1916, Page 6

ARREST OF MR. PAUL HANSEN

INTERNED AT NORTH HEAD FORT. By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, April 19. This morning the arrest was made of Mr. Paul Hansen, a leading land' agent of this city, and Vice-Consul. for Denmark, who is now in the custody of the military authorities at North Head .fort. The arrest was carried out by the police.. Shortly after the arrest of Hansen, the Danish Consul-General in New Zealand (Sir Francis Bell) visited the office of Messrs. Hansen and Co., and took possession of the papers and removed the Vice-Consulate. Secrecy is being observed by the authorities with regard to the reasons prompting the internment. Tlie Superintendent of Police, when >aslced if any official announcement could bo made as to tho reasons for arresting a neutral Vice-Consul, replied that the police were not in a position to make any statement, and_ were acting under orders from Wellington. The warrant for the arrest was received from the fcapital, and was duly executed, and tho matter was now entirety in the hands of the military authorities. Hansen, who is well known ns one of the most successful land agents of the city, as ex-mauager of the Auckland Electric Tramway Company, a -keen member of its directorate, and also as a director of the Takapuna Tramway and Ferry Company, has resided in Auckland for many years. His parents resided in Schleswig, a Danish province annexed.by Prussia and Austria in 1864, and two years later incorporated with Prussia. After tho Austro-Prussian war, they removed to Coburg, where Mr. Hansen .was bom. His father was chaplain to the Danish Navy during the war between Denmark and Germany.

DR. ENDLETSBERGER, INTERNED.

Auckland, April 19. By instructions from the Defence. Department, Dr. Endlotsberger, who lived at Epsom, was arrested this afternoon and handed over to tho military authorities.