GERMANS REPATRIATED.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIII, Issue 1704, 18 December 1919, Page 7

GERMANS REPATRIATED.

VON LUCKNER GOES “HOME.”

LANDING AT ROTTERDAM

CONTRAST IN DEMEANOUR

Details of the final stages of the repatriation of the German and Austrian prisoners of war who wore interned for many months on Motuihi Island, and who sailed from Wellington under guard on the Willochra late last May, have been recounted by a member of the guard who has just returned from abroad. 'I he most prominent members of the party wore Count Felix von Luckner, ox-cammander of the raider Seeadler, Lieutenant Kircheiss, of the same vessel, and Dr. Schultz, cx-Govemor of Samoa. The party, which consisted of some 150 interned aliens when it left Auckland, was joined by other internees at Sydney, bringing the total number ol passengers aboard the Willochra to about 900. The monotony of the long voyage “home” was broken principally by very frequent concerts by the members of the string band, well known in Auckland streets in pre-war days. The greater portion ol the music at these concerts was composed by the conductor himself, a German na.med Moray, Of the other items it is interesting to note that they were not all taken ( from operas comjiosed in the “ Fatherland,” On July 18 the Willochra drew up off Dover, and after having taken aboard a representative of the Navy, ran straight across to Rotterdam. Before sunrise the following day the vessel steamed alongside the quiet quay. The spot on which the prisoners were to land had been fenced oil, and a few military officials only were to ho seen. . . Aboard the ship a general spirit of excitement ami bustle prevailed, and it was noticeable that the Germans, with their accustomed eye to things material, literally “bought out” the ship’s canteen of all its foodstuffs. The relations between the first-class passengers and the ship’s officers were not at all strained, and von Luckner was often heard to remark, “ You have not won the war; it was a draw.” Among the_ secondclass passengers, however,. the feeling was not so' kindly. Tins was exemplified in the manner in which they rushed the gangway as soon as it was lowered, and accompanied their first moments of “ freedom ” with hoots and angry cries, directed at the ship’s officers uml. guard. Count von Luckner remained courteous to the end. Ho was the last to leave the ship. That morning lie had discarded his naval uniform and donned a new grey tweed suit. At the foot of the gangway he stopped, took his ’"live of the officers, shaking hands with Major Blackett, officer commanding ship, and then passed down to the end of the quay. , , , A few hours later the Willochra swung dear from her anchorage, and almost simultaneously a troon train steamer out towards the west, to the accompaniment ot guttural hoots and cries from a few men returning to the inglorious rule of then beaten country. Even at that momen thousands of Allied troops were threading the streets of London in tho triumphal vie tory march of July 19.