FEDERAL PRIME MINISTER.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17099, 23 February 1916, Page 10

FEDERAL PRIME MINISTER.

—— — —♦—= . . ■ VISIT TO ENGLAND. ENSURING MR HUGHES'S SAFETY It transpires that the. Federal Prime Minister (Mr Hughes), when ho was about to leave for England . recently, was regarded as a marked man from the enemy standpoint, and precautions were taken to guard him from possible molestation on the occasion of his leaving Australia,. says tho " Sydney Morning Herald." A ruse was resorted to in order to throw enemy agents off the scent, and it was quite successful. When Mr Hughes and his party left the Central Railway Station, Sydney. on-'the ..evening of January. 19, by the Melbourne mail train, it was naturally .'thought by the cheering crowd that farewelled him that he'was off to Melbourne to, as given out, pick up the English mail steamer Osterley there, or at Adelaide or F romantic As amatter of fact, Mr Hughes did not embark by the Osterley at either of these places, and did not go far outside Sydney in the mail train. At one of' the first stations at which the train stopped the Prime Minister and party alighted. A motor-car was in waiting. The Prime Minister was then whirled in the automobile to Watson's Bay. Here the pilot boat Captain Cook was in waiting, and early next morning it took the Prime Minister outside the heads. The Makura, bound for Vancouver, was cruising outside, and Mr Hughes and his party were transferred by rowing boat from the pilot to "the Canadian liucr.