LOOTING AT RABAUL

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 126, 29 May 1915, Page 5

LOOTING AT RABAUL

ALLEGATIONS AGAINST OFFICERS. PREMIER SAYS LOOTERS SHOULD BE SHOT. MELBOURNE, 28th 'May In the House of Representatives, . Mr. Anstey renewed his allegations of looting at Rabaul, and claimed that officers who prevented the soldiers from looting, themselves carried on wholesale robbery. Loot occurred on a large scale from top to bottom. The men eimply did what < they saw theiv officers do. The responsibility rested with those controlling the expedition. He believed thcru would always be looting in connection with war. The only honest thing was to let the sentenced men out of gaol. Mr Fisher declared that the > Government was a clean Government. The matter would not be allowed to rest there. A soldier had no right to loot. It was the duty of the commanding officer to shoot him if he could not stop him in other ways. Mr Fisher denied the statement that no court-martial could be trusted to try a culprit. If an officer hod done wrong he should be treated more severely than the soldiers. Mr. Cook suggested that a committetof members of the House, or a Judge, ehould investigate the whole business. Mr Jensen said that the Government should take immediate action to sift the allegations. He would never rest till this was thoroughly done. In the 'House of Representatives, Mr. Fisher stated that he was considering action, in connection with the courtmartial concerning the Rabaul looting charges. The Government desires to ascertain if the_ courte-martial were carried out according to the usual rules.