The New Zealand armed forces landed in Apia to annex Samoa on 29 August , 1914 . Two weeks later , Ernst Reye formally handed over the keys to the German Government cashboxes and safes as well as pass on the remaining cash . The receipt from A . Loibl , shown in the image , bears Reye ’ s signature as consignor . Reflecting the strict hierarchy of the German civil service , Mr Reye signed himself as “ Reye . Assistent I Klasse ” – “ Assistant 1 st Class ”. NZ Administrator , Col . Robert Logan , was rightly suspicious of the absence of any gold coins in the German reserves , a mistrust which was heightened when he learned in October of a money transfer ruse the Germans had carried out before the New Zealanders arrived ( see below ).
Museum für Völkerkunde , Hamburg , Ohle Album
Unbeknown to the arriving New Zealanders , Governor Erich Schultz shipped out 100,000 German Marks to the DH & PG office , in Pago Pago , on board the DH & PG yacht , “ Staatssekretar Solf ” - see image above - on war ’ s outbreak on 5 August , 1914 . This horde was despatched for safekeeping in a neutral territory ( American Samoa ). The stock of paper money held by the government at the time was large and Schultz prepaid all his officials a year ’ s salary in banknotes as well , which appear to have been deposited by most officials in personal accounts at the DH & PG Apia ( Logan later confiscated these funds ). The New Zealanders did not learn about the Pago Pago shipment until October but by then the money was out of reach . Reye had been present at the meeting of German officials which discussed what to do with the brimming administration cash . He told a friend later that the deputy governor , Hans Teklenburg , had suggested holding on to the money in case the administration was levied a war tax but Schultz had overruled him . Reye ’ s part in this understandable wartime precaution hardly detracts from the integrity he was known for . Karl Hanssen , head of the DH & PG , described him in 1914 as “ such a decent and civil person ” ( translated ).
Reye Family Collection
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