Their "Joke" Brought

Three Months

ON May 31, a missionary visiting the Vaisigano district of Savaii, West ern Samoa, tuned in his portable radio to a world, news broadcast, and heard that the British had been driven out of Crete, after 12 days’ bitter fight ing.

Among those who heard the broadcast were Paul Schmidt and Auselm Schmidt, sons of a German father by a Samoan mother. They are mature men, traders, and married.

That evening, at the village of Falea lupo, in a gathering which included Samoan chiefs and the captain and crew of the little “Tiafau”, Paul and Auselm could not conceal their happiness. They gave the Nazi salute, heiled Hitler, and announced that the Germans had taken Malta.

There are loyal people over there in Savaii. The incident was reported; and. on July 11, Paul and Auselm appeared in the High Court, Apia, charged with making a subversive statement.

They said, in defence, that they were only joking, and that they had confused Crete with Malta.

Chief Judge Harley could not see any thing funny in the joke. He added that Germans, living in a British country, would be wise to refrain from jokes of this kind, in a time of war.

Paul and Auselm were sent to gaol for three months. Perhaps they can employ the time profitably in studying Mediter ranean geography.

Judge A. McCarthy returned to New Zealand recently from Rarotonga, where for a time he presided over the Cook Islarids Land Court. He is now on a visit to Niue Island.