PROTEST BY THE OFFICERS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXVI, Issue 3573, 6 October 1916, Page 6

PROTEST BY THE OFFICERS.

DUNEDIN, October G. Tlie following letter was to-daj' forwarded to tho Mayor of Dunedin- by the officers of the Aurora, now lying at Port Chalmers :—

" We, the .undersigned, as the three i remaining* officers of the Aurora, should like our appreciation of tho^ services of Captain Stenhouso to the)' expedition I and ourselves placed on record, and to earnestly protest against the action I taken by tho committeo 'in superseding his command. Such, an action by those with an intimate- knowledge of the captain's abilities and sentiments is unesplainable. No strangers could possibly have tho same feeling; in the 'rescue of their comrades in the South as Captain Stenhouso and ourselves. It is this sense of loyalty and this sense only to our commander and the marooned party that has kept us from I taking part in the . European crisis. It is with great reluctance that we feel bound to withdraw our services from the relief of our comrades in distress and leavo it to strangers, should the authorities insist on the superseding of our present commander. Wife also take exception to the discourteous manner in which this alteration was conveyed to the captain, whom we know Tto bo a worthy leader, in danger ; and difficulty j after 16 months of hardship in the Antarctic. We should be 1 grateful if you would place this in such hands a-s to ..receive justice and immediate attention. L. HOOKE. ADRIAN DONNELLY. i h. J. F. THOMSON."