Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-09-23
IEUTON REFUGEES
FROM TAHITI ARE
ON Way 1OCOAST
CONTINUED from page one3

to land at Honolulu were to sll fntents
and purposes made prisoners of war,
following the beIated news of the dec
laration of war Of Germany and Aus
tria against the Allies. For days con-
fined in an abandoned French troop
barracks and later transferred to Mo-
tu-uta, a small isolated reef a few
miles from Papeete, their plight was
noted by the American consul who
through Captain Won Dahlren arranged
for their transportation as far as Ho-
nolulu at least
To comply with the American navi-
cation regulations the members of the
party were signed on as members Of
the crew of the s. n. Castle and in
this capacity they were brought to this
port today and will be paid off and
passed by Shipping COMMISSIONER Will
der.
Rostilities Aroused the French.
!, The first news of hostilities between
warning powers was received weeks
after the outbreak with the arrival OF
a British steamer operating from Well
ington, New Zealand, in the south sea
trade
This vessel steamed into the little
harbor at Papeete and the story Of the
war is said to have created the CREST
est CONSERVATION. Al large German
freighter, the Walkers, q vessel Of
5000 tons register which had been at
the port for some days previous taking
on shipment of phosphate rock and
copra, fell an easy prey to a mere
handful of French police stationed
there. Before Captain Ludwig West
phal, member of the party Of refu-'
gees, learned of the conflict between
the Fatherland and the Allies, he was
informed that himself and officers
were prisoners and that his vessel had
become the property of the French
government.
At present Papeete is protected by
less than a half hundred gendarmes,
the troops to the number of several
hundred formerly stationed there
having been withdrawn during the
earlier part of the year. These OH.
GERS visited all business houses con-
Quoted by Germans and notified them
that they would be expected
to leave the ISLANDS at the earliest OPP.
portunity. In many instances no at
tempt was made to close up the bust-
ness, everything being left behind.
Little Gunboat Sole Protector.
Before Captain Won Dahlren sailed
out of the harbor of Papeete on Sep
TENDER 8, the French are said to have
decided upon the sinking or the little
gunboat ZeIe at the entrance to the
channel leading to the inner harbor
should the island be visited by one OF
the several German cruisers then. re-
ported as in that part of the Pacific.
The vessel had been hauled to a po-
sition where it could easily be wreck
ed and block ingress to the port.
Great secrecy was maintained In
preventing the spread Of gem
ersI war among the. natives. The
French authorities took immediate
steps toward enforcing a complete shs-
pension of traffic between Tahfti, the
most important island in the group, and
the neighboring islands of Morreau,
Raiatea, Huahine and Borabora, where
large copra and trading stations are
located
The French colony numbering about
800, including gendarmes and civilians,
made immediate preparation to with
stand state of siege. While the isl
and is stated to be almost entirely
unprotected by Notifications the
French profess to believe that by clos