PRISONERS OF WAR

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue LXVIII, 12 August 1914, Page 5

PRISONERS OF WAR

[By Telegraph —Speciai to Star.] WELLINGTON, Aug. 11. i The grim earnestness of war was brought Home to the small group of people who watched the arrival of* the Auckland troop train this morning, when it was seen that three of the carriages contained German prisoners who had been arrested in the north. On the platforms of the carriages were guards with fixed bayonets to see that no attempt was made by the captives to regain liberty. Altogether there were 32 of them, and as they put their heads out of the windows it was observed that mostly they were, young men who would be liable to serve in the army of the Fatherland. Double lines from the ranks of the railway corps were drawn up on the platform with fixed bayonets a and under a strong escort the Germans were taken to the Alexandra Barracks, via Jervois Quay. The scene as they were marched through the streets was an impressive one, and the spectators realised that it was no superficial formality but the 6tern custom of war that was bein^ complied with. Accompanying the escort j were a covple of officers with drawn swords, while at the rear rode two mounted police constables.

The men will be interned at Somes Island.

Yesterday the local police arrested eight Germans as prisoners of war, and to-day it was estimated that twenty more would be taken into custody. Naturalised British subjects were not being detained.