PRISONERS OF WAR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15748, 24 October 1914, Page 9

PRISONERS OF WAR.

USE OF WIRELESS. THE WELLINGTON CASE. [BY telegraph— SPEClAL CORRESPONDENT] 1 Wellington-, Friday. The treatment of German prisoners now- ' interned in New Zealand was the subject ' of two questions in the House of Representatives this afternoon. Mr. J. B. H'ine (Stratford) asked what action the Government proposes to take legarding the German, now serving a sentence of imprisonment for having an illicit wireless plant in his possession, on the expiry of his sentence. There was a general feeling that the man ought not to ' be given his liberty. Ine Prime Minister : In the opinion of the authorities this man now undergoing sentence is far too dangerous to be at large. He will not be allowed his liberty at the end of his sentence, but will become a military prisoner, and will remain one, probably as long as the war lasts. Experts in wireless have informed me that these plants cannot send a message vithout their being picked up by the ordinary wireless station, but they can leceive messages intended for the ordinary wireless stations. That, in itself, is sufficiently dangerous, because, having picked up an important message, there is no knowing to whom it may be conveyed. here have been quite a number of rumours about these wireless plants being discovered in different parts of New Zealand, but this is the only one we have been able to get hold of. If the prisoner referred to had been discovered communicating with the enemy with his wireless, he would never have had an opportunity of doing it again. He would have been handed over to the military authorities, who would have tried him by courtmartial, and there is no doubt whatever what the sentence would have been, it he had been found guilty. The Government know their duty in regard to these matters for the protection of our own people, and they intend to do it. WATER FOR GERMANS. CARRIED BY THE GUARD. PRISONERS ON STRIKE. [by telegraph.—SPEClAL correspondent.] Wellington, Friday. A question relating to German prisoners asked by Mr. T. M. Wilford (Hutt) was less serious in character. He said that he was informed by a young man who had been on guard duty at Somes Island that the German prisoners of war when they first went to the island carried their own supplies of water from the wharf. Since then, however, they had refused to do it, and the work had to be done by the guard. He thought there was a limit to things of this sort(hear, hear), and he would ask the Government how long it was to continue. He would suggest that instructions be issued that the prisoners should be made to cart their own water or go without. (Hear, hear.) The Prime Minister said that the matter had not before been officially brought under his notice. One of the difficulties encountered in dealing with these prisoners of war was that they were Imperial prisoners, and the i Government had to be guided by the Imperial instructions in dealing with them. "But," said Mr. Massey, "if I had anything to do with the command of the guard I would tell the German prisoners they would have to cart their own water or go without. (Hear, hear.) I would take that responsibility, and I would be prepared to take the consequences. (Hear, hear.) The Minister for Defence will be absent from Wellington for a day or two, but when he returns from Auckland I will bring the matter under his notice. The fact seems to be that these men went on strike. There is an international arrangement that if prisoners of war are required to do any work they must be paid for it. Probably the German prisoners became aware of that and went on strike. However that does not apply to what I said: the prisoners should be made to carry their water or go without." (Hear, hear.) GERMANS BROUGHT FROM THE SOUTH. SENT TO MOTUIHI ISLAND. A party of German prisoners, including the ex-Deputy Governor of Samoa, Herr Tecklenburg, five men and two of their wives, arrived in Auckland yesterday ) morning by the Main Trunk express. Very few people noticed the party and their escort, and the transfer of the prisoners from the railway station to Motuihi Island was effected without incident. This is the first batch of prisoners to be transferred from Somes Island, Wellington, but it is expected that the remaining Germans there, some 20 in number, will be brought to Auckland in the course of a few days and interned at Motuihi during the war.