THE GAUDIN CASE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11281, 8 January 1915, Page 3

THE GAUDIN CASE.

AN AUCKLAND PROTEST. DEFENCE COMMITTEE APPOINTED. [Fkom Our Coh.kesfondf.nt.] AUCKLAND, January What was intended to have been private meeting of Mr F. E. N. Gaudin's friends was arranged to take place at the Chamber of Commerce last evening. By eight o'clock, however, the room was packed, over one hundred people, including many well known professional and business people, being present. It was explained that the ! meeting was to have been merely a I private gathering called for the pur- ; pose of discussing the Gaudin case, but j in view of the large and representative attendance it was resolved to make th-. meeting public. Mr T. N. Daxter was voted to the chair Mr M'Callum said that after Gaudin was arrested he (the speaker) went to Wellington and there interviewed Mr Massey and Mr Herdman. The Prime Minister then informed him that there was *?,otmng treasonable in the letters, j Mr J. v. Martin was asked for a legal' L "Mid after conferring with Gr'midiu. declared that the facts were so simple that they need anticipate •nothing more than a nominal fine for a, technical breach of the law, ind further adrised them that the case was not sufficiently serious to warrant sending a lawyer down to Samoa to defend the prisoner. The facts in relation to the trial, as already published, were then related by Mr M'Callum. Practically the same report was published by the Suva paper and was seen by Major Head, the president of the Court, and Captain Neil!, the Crown Prosecutor, neither of who.'ii took any exception to it. Even when the trial was over no one expected anything more severe than i line, and when next morning Captain Tottenham read the decision of the Court, five years' imprisonment, Gaudin collapsed. A Voice: Who is Captain Tottenham P Mr M'Callum; He was, I believe a rabbiter in the Hawke's Bay dis trict before the war broke out. Mr M'Callum added that Mr Marti_ was at present away on a lengthy holiday, and the services of Mr Skerret wero being obtained, but that gentle man was also away on holidays just at: present-. ' _ J A person present, who gave his name' as Mr Ross, said he would like to know whether the meeting presumed that it could tell the Imperial authorities what to do. The chairman replied that' he believed public opinion regarded the sentence as grossly unjust, and it was for the meeting to consider what action could be taken. Mr Ross: Are we the right people to judge? The Chairman : If a rank injustice lias been perpetrated the public has a, right to express its opinion. Mr Ross: Gaudin is a friend of mine, but where is his partner Kronfekl ? The chairman ruled that the speaker was out of order. Mr Ross insisted on expressing his opinions very loudly, however, and finally a motion was unanimously carried asking him to withdraw from the meeting. He did so, shouting: " You stand up for a traitor." and although shown outside he remained at the door and continued to interrupt throughout the meeting. Mr A. S. Brown asked was not Gaudin's most serious offence an attempt to carry away gold in defiance of the military proclamation? Mr M'Callum said that, had been admitted, and proceeded to give full details of this feature of the case, the statement being made while the meeting went into committee-. A Voice: Is ihe embargo, upon the removal of money from Samoa still in operat ion ? Mr M'Callum: No, it was reniove-d before we reached Samoa. Gold may now be shipped from the island upon payment of a o per cent charge levied by the Government. Mr Moses said he thought the meeting might, consider the best nivalis of gaining some official account of the trial. They all believed Mr M'Callum, but. it would be as well to eonvine e the public thoroughly of all 'lie circumstances. Mr Montague he agreed will) Mr Moses. People nverywhero were saving. "There must- b«- Cometh nig mor- 'behind this than the newspaper reports indicate. Gnudin would rievr ]iave ive- ivd five year*-' imprisonment for anything f-o trivial.'' Mr M'Callum replied that- he hop-d the amhorit k-s would publish an ofTirial r-'pori • £•»*•*? "en .warth the Press had puh!i:-]i<"'d 'hem. lie / would vouch, for that. A defeneo e-ouunitt/v, mnMs.uit.cr of prominent citizens, was appoint oil ';,y the meet Dip,-