INCIDENT OF THE WAR

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17145, 30 December 1929, Page 7

INCIDENT OF THE WAR

»"■'■' SAMOAN OCCUPATION GEEMAN WARSHIP'S ARRIVAL (Special to the Herald.) CHRIBTCHURCH, this day. '/AH this talk about Robert Grave's new hook reminds mo of an event which',took place when the war was ■very new,'' writes a contributor in the Star.- Samoa had been occupied by New Zealand troops without a sign of Opposition, when, one very bright morning, a German cruiser hovo in light and trained its'guns,on Apia. -. "About that time one of the padres, now the vicar of a Christchurch, suburban parish, was on the beach. He , had visions of sudden death, and looked around for shelter. On one side was an hotel, and on the other a ehurch. The hotel looked tho more substantial building. It was a time for a quick decision. Suddenly the thought flashed into the padre's head, 'lt would look better if I.was found dead in-a church rather than in an ■JiOteJ/\So without; further hesitation "■: he dived under the-church, and there he-stayed till the cruiser, which never flred'a shell, headed for sea again, full out. "Juflt why that cruiser put to sea ' without •firing at what constituted n first-cto target was the subject of many an argument at tho time, but it was eventually discovered that a Hftw Zealand military radio operator was the man who saved the day. He knew there was no hope if the boat Started shelling, so he sent a radio message which purported to bo from the cruiser Sydney, stating that she would, arrive in the course of an hour OTjtwo. The Germans knew the code, and once they had decoded the message they decided that Apia was no place for them. The radio man's inJefliuity probably saved the lives of alf tne garrison."