WANGANUI BARRACKS SCANDAL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17499, 16 December 1918, Page 6

WANGANUI BARRACKS SCANDAL

LIEUTENANT CRAMPTON REPLIES TO CRITICISM. The Wansanui Detention Barracks 6oandal is causing widespread interest, and, in view of certain statements having been published concerning Lieutenant Crampton'3 conduct at Samoa and his being coiirt-mrir tialled in respect to an assault on a woman, lio mado an explanation to a Herald representative : — v He said he was appointed to Samoa as Provost marshal, judge of the Native Courts, Secretary of Native Affairs, and later Inspector-gencral of Police and Prisons, by virtue of which he was also a magistrate in >.he German courts. There were two rrevailing features—Prussiaaism and houses of ill-fame. The latter were seriously affecting the health of the troops and civil population. The German element on the island was ignoring the rules and regulations issued by proclamation, and generally was doing as it liked. The stand *u 1? took, was to clean the island of both these evils by the internment of Germans who .disobeyed the regulations and by suppressing the houses of ill-fame and deporting the occupants to another island. 9 came under his military rank and tho other under his civil capacity. In performing many of these duties he would have to carry out work which in New Zealand was performed by a constable, as the main staff of the civil police comprised natives, who in the performance of the duties he had undertaken were of little use. Hie carrying out of these two tasks earned for him tho extreme hatred of the Gorman elements strong supported by their sympathisers were many, and somo in influential posiJ? O Pf S- roin tlle first he had a stiff uphill light. Ho -was informed in. their usual •secretive method that if he came up against a certain organisation tliey would have him out of tho country within a month. liio assault on a, woman referred to occurred during his investigation of a brutal assault on a girl committed by the woman with a knife. She was defying all authority, and was trying to put him off the premises and it was only to avoid contact with her that he put out his walking-stick, which was technically an assault. Tho incident provided an opening for the Germans and their sympathisers to put in operation tho schemes against Himself, and they took full advantage of it. The court-martial was brought about on his own application, the result of which was. a reprimand for a torh♦nical assault. He denied thero was either foundation or truth in the other allegations and innuendoes against his character. In conclusion, he remarked that tho fact thi he was retained in tho service of tho Defence Department Mid upon his return to New Zealand was given important positions showed that the authorities did not regard the charges mado against him at Samoa as being serious." noa- '