CO885-24 — Page 153

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

TILLCO. 885

سانس

24 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGNE-NOT TO

288

WESTERN PACIFIC.

2. With regard to the last paragraph of your despatch, I have to request that the Japanese on that island may be thanked for their offer to form a corps, and informed that, so far as can be seen at present, it is not necessary for the Administration to take advantage of it.

1890

3. A copy of this despatch is being sent direct to the Resident Commissioner.

I have, &c.,

No. 111.

L. HARCOURT.

THE HIGH COMMISSIONER to THE SECRETARY OF STATE.

(Received 13th January, 1915.)

(Secret.)

SIB,

Secret, 6th October, 1914.

Secret, 18th Novembar, 1914.

Office of the High Commissioner for the Western Pacific,

Suva, Fiji, 19th November, 1914. WITH reference to my despatches noted in the margin,* I have the honour to transmit to you, for your information, a copy of a letter from the Deputy-Commis- sioner for Fanning Island, on the subject of the temporary capture of the island, on the 7th September last, by a landing party from the German ship "Nurnberg," the destruction of the cable instruments and appliances, the looting of cash and stamps to the value in all of £761 4s. 10d., and the loss of all defence and confidential papers.

2. The Fanning Island Defence Scheme failed in its object, owing to the credulity of Mr. Smith, and, although no defence of the island could have been attempted with any prospect of success, it should have been possible for Mr. Smith to prevent, at the least, any confidential documents from falling into the enemy's hands. A little reflection might have shown Mr. Smith the extreme improbability of a French ship being, in the early part of September last, in the vicinity of Fanning Island.

SIR,

3. I enclose a copy of the letter which I have addressed to Mr. Smith.

I have, &c..

Enclosure 1 in No. 111.

BICKHAM ESCOTT,

High Commissioner.

Office of the Deputy Commissioner, Fanning Island,

27th October, 1914.

I HAVE the honour to inform you that, at about 4.30 a.m. on the 7th of September, I was called up and informed that a large steamer had been sighted. Without waiting to dress I proceeded to the wharf with a binocular, and was able

UP to distinguish & vessel, apparently going slowly in the direction of English Harbour. I called in at the office and telegraphed to the Cable Superintendent at Suva and Bamfield, B.C., "Large steamer off the station, probably 'Nurnberg,'” returned to my house (few yards away), took a hasty shower bath, dressed, and returned toward the wharf, when I was met and informed" It is all right, it is a French man- of-war." I ordered out a boat, after confirming the fact that it was the French flag flying, went again to the office and telegraphed: "It turns out to be a French man-of-war; am now going aboard."

A few days previously, I had received the following telegram from Ottawa. addressed to the Officer in Charge, Fanning Island :-

"Nap unable racoon nap backbiter earthly racoon gainsayer italics nullification atomy had obelisk nap unable lac unable unable washing sacred sacred identical racoon identifical sacred.-NAVAL."

* 47511 and 1889: not printed.

289

WESTERN PACIFIC.

Having no code book I was unable to decipher this message. I endeavoured to obtain a decode from the naval authorities at Sydney, and also from your office; having failed in my endeavours, I referred back to Ottawa, and received a reply through the Censor at Bamfield, which said, "Never mind." When I saw what I supposed to be a French man-of-war, I concluded that her presence was a possible interpretation of the message from Ottawa, and I confess that felt somewhat jubi- lant at the prospect of feeling sure that the Government had sent protection for a cable which was laid for strategic purposes, e.g., to maintain telegraphic communi- cation with overseas dominions through all-British territory in time of war. I may say that, from the moment when I received your telegram informing me of the outbreak of war, I felt certain that such a vulnerable position would not be left unprotected for an indefinite period.

On my arrival at the wharf I saw a boat approaching, and even then, from the dress and general appearance of the occupants, "dark brown helmets and clothing, I was quite unsuspicious. It was only when the boat grounded and the rifles brought up to view, that I realized that I had walked into a trap. I was at once taken prisoner.

The invaders placed a cordon of about thirty men around the buildings, and as soon as the officers became convinced that we had no defence, they ordered their men to unload their rifles.

Our flagstaff was destroyed, all electric light wires cut and the engine-house (used for cold storage and electric lighting purposes) was dynamited. I did my best to convince the officer that we had no wireless installation, but he seemed to consider that we could not possibly require engines and a dynamo except for use in connexion with wireless telegraphy.

The cable office and battery-room was visited and the staff made prisoners, and all instruments and batteries smashed up with axes; by good fortune the arti- ficial line-room, containing the resistance boxes and condensers used in connexion with duplex submarine telegraphy, escaped attack. The contents of this room are worth, approximately, seven thousand pounds.

the pro

My keys were then demanded, and cash to the value of £689 168, 2d., perty of the Pacific Cable Board, taken, also stamps and cash to the value of £71 88. 8d., the property of the New Zealand Post Office. All my defence papers and other confidential matter from your office were taken; also the original copy of the above-mentioned telegram from Ottawa, and "block sketches of war and mer- chant vessels, May, 1913," together with my Pacific Cable code books and other papers.

The cables were dynamited at low water mark and cut about 600 yards dis- tant from the shore, and then dragged out of position.

Our rifles and ammunition were also taken and the hidden instruments men- tioned in the precautionary stage of the defence scheme were demanded. When this demand was made, I had to turn over in my mind how to keep back these instru- ments and batteries, so I instructed the electrician to unearth and deliver the 20 microfarad condensers and testing set, which is mentioned in the war stage of the defence scheme. The cable charts had, most unfortunately, been baried with the condensers, and the electrician had no opportunity of informing me of this. Under the very eyes of the officer. I therefore saved the eight boxes of instruments and batteries at the expense of the charts.

The "Nurnberg" was accompanied by a collier, which spent several hours out- ting the Suva cable with a cold chisel. Both vessels left at about 8 p.m., steaming due west.

I consider that it is but fair to mention that the German officers and their men were most civil and courteous, and did not enter any of the dwellings-in fact, the officer who appeared to be in command expressed his regret at having disturbed us in the execution of his duty. I can assure you that it has been a matter of sincere regret to me to be so badly trapped-every possible detail of the defence scheme had been carried out, rifle shelters built, manned, and rifle practice carried out on a floating target some 800 yards from the shore, the Volunteer Reserve called out for actual service, and a night watch established.

I had two boxes of matches and all secret and confidential papers assembled for burning in a wire basket, and the case packed ready to be put through the manhole

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