BACK FROM SAMOA.

Timaru Herald, Volume CI, Issue 15455, 18 September 1914, Page 5

BACK FROM SAMOA.

a T3nAnr m^\x. SAPPER A. R. lICTCHIX3Sapper A- R. Iltttc-Itins. whu i> «m----p!ftyec£ on the Tiaaarw Ra.Uvay t-'t'iicn, a.nl who was a member of the Expeditionary Forco which was sent to Samoa, h-3.> retrarne'l here an'l tesunied his former oecuputton. ft*', has applied! howover, ta be inducted i- the next Forco wui'-it fcavef these vhcres. :T.d he is hopeful of getting away again. In conversation with a "Herald" reporter yesterday, Sapper Ilutchtus &aid 'hi* was "Very rtisappn-wncett at having to i-ecuru, hue thefe were more nun than Wf:e wanted at S:.moa »nct> it had :mrrendereil. and so some of them had to return. Tlu> authorities first jnckfd out t'...se who had defective te«th. and sent tiiftn back- When Lt> left Timnrtt'ho hail nt> upper teeth, hut two dentistswere tak- a with the Force, audi they were ti> attend to any dental defects of th" men, on the voyag? over. Brit it unk'ortunatety happened that _ some thJtgs were forgotten when ttieir Irr.t boat s;i and anongst these wa.s, ttie d»r.tal apparatus- Since his return however, he had had the necrssary falso teeth fitte-i and ha»? he-en passed" as fit in every particular for further service. Men with fr.lso teeth had to be careful on: the troopships as 'some !iad V*en known to. them over theside> of tho v.'he.'t breakfast, dinner, or tea in«'ste«l en piirtim- company r-fth th^ra. Yes. he* was disappoint'"l that they had hnd no fighting s-t Samoa. ThoCoviernor had; surrendered without a mitrmitr, and all they hrd to do was tt> *>nter fntoi pos--"«w»oin. Tho m<*n were in prettv rood form too, as they hnd lt»ft Ki* '-f bftvorivt ««ins» the trnv mtrr. k"n : nt_ rats which Tverr* plentiful in frheir cah : nsf

Tbe. h*vit at '■•inm-ofl! wn.-? tpfv ORprm*. S'vev Fx»in;» in t T ni> s*>a<T*» ftrvfc «?••▼ cf tn*f» arrival. TFiU mr'Ttt nr*t htr«* hpen ftvTfc so, mrrch hr.il the"- h'-cn &Wr.T-c<J to tTrnk «-atf>r fr«««Tv b"t for T«l<(nr» th"v wptp- al!wr««r] rm w«t«r f«r> thf rrn-r-Ti, ;»nd Co fro ft-. Oo Totti't I»o<rart. wtio was in fomrruim!. w!i«

very considerate to the men who could net wi-h to b- uudc-r a bet:er leader. He: ore they landed at Samoa he mrdo it cle.ir to ttuxn that they must behave in an exemplary manner, and that lib would to.er.ito no thieving or misconduct cf any sort.

They kft Sew Zealand on August l->th. and had not the least idea ft hen* they wore go'ng. They hop.d. how-- ver. that they wvro going right to the front. It was nat until they touch d :>t XfAim.a that they gathered that their ties: Ration was Samoa. They st It had lit:pes even then, that they would goto the front. The trip over w:;> a ta'riy rough one. and a ga*at ii::>.riv of the uun suffered from sea s:i kness. They were well cared for. haw ever, and soon joined thetr sea legs. Five r.nd a ha f hours of each day were tit voted to driti on the troop sh'ps. They left Wellington on a S-iturday. and on the fo!:owing Tuesday they were met by H-M.S. Philomel, J*> ramus, arid Psyche. When they rt ached Noumea en the Wowing Thursday mortv.ttg. t!u>'r ecnvt.y was Strengthened by slips- from Austral a and France :H.M.S. Montca-'m. H-M.S. Australia, and H-M.S. Melhourne. These were at first thought to be Gt-rman boats, and no one was sorry when it was seen that they wore friends at.d not cnem es. When the troopships entered Noumea they were g vptt a great welcome by tho natives and the French. Tito troops were labeled there for exen- se, and marched six m'les. inland, after which thev were nturned tc thwr ships. When they were embark ng the natives showered tbkia villi cak.s. sweets, fruit, etc., and were apparently overwhelmed with joy at wf'ng them. They a'so thren great co-canuts on to the ships, and one of these nnfortunatelv struck a van in the face and knocked hm cut fur h.ttf an hour. Although the ztat'rcs had not intended to hurt anyone, they seemed to th ; nk : t a great jalce to see the man fall under their cwtwinat they laughed heartilv. leaving Xouma "ope of tho troopships, tire Monowai, ran on to a sandbank. This cat-set! tweni.y-fcur hours cit-Tay, bit. the t me was not a'togetiicr wasted for the men were put to rfb practice on a target at sea. Wijen thry got into the hot cFraat© tho m»n were alt inoculated as \ prevent'on against fevers, and though the men were keen to get urder fire thev d"d not care for th's pm-prc-k ng busVs*. Half a dozen of them tVnted hut all very soon recovered. Tho men also

had to have their hn. : r cropped close, to the scalp- There were no tonsor al artists on board, but soui.? hair-cl_.pp.ng laach ncs we.o served out, and it was a case of '"You cut mine and I'll cut yours." The result could be as well iiragned as described. From Noumea they went to F jt, where the stopped lor a (lay to enab.o tiio Monowa. to take in water, and the other troop.di.p, some provisions. Between two :.nd three days later thev were at Samoa. Sapper Mutchins sa d the natives at Samoa, appeared quite g ail to see tin ni, prcierr.i'.g lirittsh to German rule, and some nggers were the first to run up the U.i.on Jack. He was stirprsed to find that manv of the nat.ves could sp.\ik Knglsh qu.to well. When the ttoopyhips stopped at Fiji ten chiefs and twenty frontiersmen joined ihcm and went on to Samoa. The chiefs assured the olfcers of the Force that their tribes at Samoa would be frieiuliy, and so thev were. About 500 eool.es vatched tlio Force landing, and it seemed to d splease them greatly, as thev imm.diatelv started to throwstones, but they were very soon put in their plaej and did not offend Again. W hie the coolies were throwin/, stones the Hermans were look.ng on. but the latter apparently though' discretion the better part of valour — at all events they d d nothing. I'ho lirst thing done after land.ng was to s. nd a foico in and to take possession of the wireless stat.on, and secure lis Excellency the Governor. Both niiss'ons werosoon a-jcompl'shed. The Governor was found enjoying a b:g c gar, and seemed to be very little p.rttirb.d at the nrssiou. He surrendered quietly and asked to lie taken to Fij>. He had a motor car. but this was taken awav from lim and put to nine profitable "use. When the troopsiups were approaching the island they saw r.bont a couple of hundred Germans rn the beach." nnxtcusly looking, apparentlv, for Gorman ships, and they were greatly crestfallen on find ng their hopes "were not to be realised. "Ihev turned tail and fl?d into iho interior of the Island. On landing, the German flags were soon pulled down, and two Vii.on Jacks were hosted. Saoper Ilutchens added that they had a good trip back. The men were ir.vited to work on the sit p. All but two agreed to work, and were given thfe best of everything on board. JTho other two were "put on spare rations r.nd thev were glad enough to turu to. after one day of th s treatment. His one hcoo new was that he would he able to "get away a-za.n with the Force for Europe.

GERMAN PRISONERS. ARRIVED AT AUCKLAND. (Per Press Association.) AUCKLAND, Sept. 17. Dr Schultz, ex-Governor of until recently Germnn Samoa, his secretary, rlerr -Mars, the wireless expert. Herr Flit sch, and a merchant Herr Hansen, arrved by tho Navun this morning under the escort of Major Francis and lieutenant Maxwell as prisoners of war. Herr Hansen is a Hong Kong trader, lie was vis'ting and was arrvstcd as a possible German spy. Dr S-'-hults: is naturally koenlv d snprointcd at the fate of the erstwhile Gorman nossession, but on tho voyage was cheerful nnd onteie 1 nito the social life of tho ship. Practically no re-tretion •s pl-.-ed on any members of the Germ"»r. narty. of which treatment Dr jexnrcs'P? keen annreciation. Ho is. however d-'stvoswl to learn that his f"t-»rp resder.ee i* on tho lonely nu-raritine is'nnd of Motuihi. hoinj» iui. dor t imn>-p.«ifn tKaf narolo would have offered J»i m . T>>« nnthorfies Trt doinrr ovorvfh : ntr r>o<!s : Kln to h'c on th« island thoroughly «r>r>ifo-t-10«. cp.l will irv to reinove""the irksomeness of his stay there. - EASY AND EXPECTED. SURRENDER INEVITABLE. STATEMENT BY EX-GOVERNOR. According to n- statement made hv Dr Sehultz of Srmoa. who lan«le»l in Auckland this moraine as a nrt=oner of war, tho inking of Sa>«oa was far frnm being a surn-iso. The ennturo had b>en es«v»etpd for dnvs the t.T»o'>s nehnllv arr'ved. In routed o»t t'-at t.-.sk of ♦he of an >nt»rviow D- S'-h-ltw th«- Kxne-lition-rv wa.T nnt a hnj:nrdr.nc one. H» had if en told tf<nt in Xt-w renorts l;r>d enined erederco that tl»r>re -wore a ti-Ti'to nor,nl<» in Ac n mntW of fart tbo t»*-'n' xi-l'ito i>rtni ,< irinn. >non. w"U«»n f.n,t o'eld'eii. in'-hvlin" G"mnn, Entl:sh Mitl T)-ir>;«l> sf>tflo rs xv-n*, "oi i»w.' th-n r,oo. while there are soir>« Rl.fWi »nf\-oi;.

A*k"il wWli«» r t| )p v J«:f: nf jT,„ -p\._ rv<Kt->"<>n:irv Forre W a=: exneeted l)r c c'>»|r7. rei>'"~l in *ho aTi-mative f>nd vol- n f ~o-ed inform-t'on i»»r>t H'e a .>tli""-"ti<vj in t.'ii> oo«>i : n»; of the X"w Z"-''">i'lf>r< hv ill* s>nmle >i'<>.ins of ian-Muo «-i'v>l-»« nvf»<ii«(>.\ Somoa posses l -".'! n Ttonvtt-'itl n- : rr.'f>«s station, and t 1 *>v v-ti* I'-«<c; oT.Ji «.-» intercept f-nm t!>f> fr"',r. s l,»"n<s. «-\Vr> to->1 : «-1 fnm 'l, n t-«\»-\- n"t«»*" rni'Jn-'.-vl T»- tVIi"H-».. "f.•■«♦. s"r»*»n''l'»r Ti->s "nf>vtf*>''V- l»~--«iiiv> <l»..- Rm-w, r'n- ? =*-'' ~f t"-n-lr <:M*:—c-•»r>-1 sn-i>ii' »<vx:tiMe<: „•>/) our f«vt"'s. <vf M»nc of 0"t» ».«r>_ Tills- n-x; w11n.',,,,, 1.- R™-1 „~„.. v C,i,ir,lnv f~~l 1.-1F „„ l. r „ r fo lo n '"'"" "■"'*"'>'« wore 50 rifles of an ISiT n^ffe'-n."