The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 1918.

Evening Star, Issue 16627, 9 January 1918, Page 4

The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 1918.

It has been a good thing' for several administrators in high The MotUih! places that tho eleven Inquiry. German prisouers of war,

including tho resourceful but piratical commander of tha -wrecked raider See Adler, who, all loft tho internment camp at Motnihi Island, Auckland Harbor, rather than escaped from it, ware recaptured within eight days, before any serious mischief had been wrought. This satisfactory- result of their escapade made the affair more of a farce than a tragedy; and it dissipated, or at least diluted, public indignation. The general demand for a prompt dismissal of several ornamental officers obviously associated with the business only lasted the proverbial nine days. The responsible administrators who subsequently considered the matterare quite well aware of this change in tho temper of the country, and appear to take political advantage of it. This observation may seem unkind; but the facts of the case leave no other interpretation. When public indignation was at boiling point the Government promptly initiated an inquiry, and permitted the publication of the amazing evidence brought, out by the Military. Court; after indignation had fallen to zero the Minister of Defence curtly informs the country that the report submitted by the Court "to Cabinet could not be made oviulallle lor publication. Sir James Allen has announced that " tha finding of the Court was a military document, and publication in the newspapers was not usual in such cases; the Court had not been trying any individual." This is a surprising attitude for the Administration to take up, in view of all the circumstances. The case was anything but usual; and the Court, although not trying any individual, were obviously investigating astounding conditions, which necessitated the placing of a numbor of very important individuals on trial. It is surely due to the public to know the opinions of the Court, if they have had any opinions at all, as to who should be tried for gross negligence and dangerous administration. The withholding of the Court's report is scarcely creditable to tho Government, who practically promised a full and. an open investigation of all the circumstances. They apparently overlook the fact that Ministerial as well as military prestige is assailed. The Minister of Defence officially visited tho island early in November, and there saw so many evidences of inadequate precautions for the safe keeping of resourceful prisoners of war that he promptly prepared a memorandum for the consideration of the j officer commanding- the camp. The public desire to know, and are entitled to know, since they must pay for all kind 3 of administration, if the Minister's direct control went no further than calling tha attention of a subordinate officer to the lack of effective safeguards at Motuibi, So far "the report of the Military Court of Inquiry has been carefully considered, by Cabinet, and it has been decided to set up a court martial for the trial of Lieutenant-colonel Turner. A further inquiry is to he held in order i tho exaet responsibilities of Colonel Patterson, officer commanding the Auckland military,, district, and Major OsbonrneLilly; Director of Personal Services (whatever that office- may be). It ig also announced that "from tho report Majorgeneral Sir A. Robin, Commandant of the Forces, is the only other officer concerned, and the extent of his responsibility is under consideration."

It is not, within our province at the moment to discuss tho extent of the responsibility of any officer or administrator concerned in tho stupid business; but it is permissible to observe that, without knowledge of the Court's finding, the public will believe that mora than four officers were directly concerned in the amazing negligence that permitted Count Von Luckner and ten confederates to leave their formal captivity as though going on a marine picnic. They took without difficulty or challenge <th'e commandant's launch, 40 fowls and two turkeys prepared in a concentrated form, 4CO yolks of eggs in spirit distilled from jam (the Board of Trade ought to secure information as to the distillation for tho benefit of housewives), four tins of boiled water, and a supply of bombs made by the prisoners on the island! Then it was disclosed, after the recapture of the escapees on the]commandeered scow Moa, that they had " certain - weapons, of defence," a, sword for the Count ' (who exorcised authority), a large sum of British and German gold, and a German flag. At the close of the picnic at ; the Kermadecs Count Yon Luckner smilingly said to his

captora; "You left the door open, and you cannot blame me for walking out." Precisely; and yet the public are curtly informed by the Minister of Defence that at the mo3t only four officers are to bo blamed for leaving the door open.

Aram more- than, three months' consideration and negotiation, the War Government have at last Expenditure. 'managed : to appoint a Royal Commission to inquire Into the war expenditure of the AW Zealand Defence Department. It is fair' to say that the delay has not been due io" Ministerial indifference or dlacknesa, or a desire to shirk tho fullest investigation of a question that during last parliamentary session occasioned a great deal of criticism and gossip, bordering upon allegations of gross extravagance, waste, and axponsivo administrative blundering. It is also justice to reiterate the- fact that from tho outset of the complaints, charges, and the demand for an investigation* of tho Defence Department's war expenditure Sir James Allen (tho Minister in charge) has -welcomed the fullest inquiry. The delay in setting'up tho long-projected Commission of Inquiry has been entirely due to tha Govemmeut's difficulty in securing a competent chairman. An effort was made to obtain the services of a Judge of the Supremo Court, and' it was confidently anticipated at one stage of the negotiations .that Mr Justice Stringer would be, available for the position; but in; view of ■the scope and probably protracted duration of the inquiry, and also an exfcr.-i. pressure in His Honor's judicial services, it was found impracticable to withdraw him from tho work of the judiciary at this time.

The RovKrmiwvafc have been fortunate in secaring tho services of a prominent Australian for th© position— Brigadier-general Sir Robert Anderson, of Sydney. His military titfo need not create even a suspicion of prejudicial favor o>i the military side. It is really incidental to his career, and not at all an essential part of his wide experience. Ho is in ne sense a military man, hut gained his rank hi order to exorcise hi? bu.sj.ne.sj> ability on behalf of the Common wealth during the war. Ho is a successful business mau in Sydney, and lias had pxactieaJ experience of financial affaira as a banker. Moreover,, Sir Robert has had oousiderabla experience of the work oi royal camiiiissions, principally in Australia, where lift investigated tho postal administration, the defence administration, and the sugar trade, and he also did good service in New Zealand (investigating scuuo tamo ago the municipal affairs of Auckland). His credentials ami experience justify the Government's deviation from the general policy of securing tho services of New Zealanders to investigate New Zealand affairs. It would bo difficult to obtain a more capable chairman for the War Expenditure Commission in tho Dominion. The associate members of the Commission are Mr Potior Barr (of Dimedin) and Mr Charles Rhodes (of Auckland), who both possess dependable qualifications for tho work to bo allotted to them.

The scope of the inquiry has not yet been defined. It is to be "hoped that "the Government will make it wide .and penetrating, so as to cover the whole field of the departmeiit's expenditure, and to search the subsidiary and special avenues of expense. It should also embrace the expenditure in connection with the hospital ships. There have been numerous allegations as to wicked extrava-gancc in many directions, and especially as regards the apparent generous employment of all sorts of military officers whose positions seem to the pnblic to be more ornamental than useful. The people are not perturbed about the bookkeeping methods of the Defence Department. They have been encouraged, chiefly by the talk of members of Parliament, to suspect that money is wasted through administrative ' bungling, overlapping- of services, a hick of experienced control, and the creation of many billets for patriotic civilians. If the Commission can satisfy the country that all is well, there will bo no complaint about tho war bill; if it be shown that there is costly stupidity at work, and z careless expenditure of money, the taxpayer will be glad to see the end of it. w-