MOBY DICK’ IN THE RHINE

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31087, 16 June 1966, Page 12

MOBY DICK’ IN THE RHINE

(N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright) BONN, June 14. The 250 reporters jammed in the sweltering committee room in the West German Parliament building were questioning spokesmen from the 21 Government Ministries on Monday when a messenger came in and handed a note to the chairman.

“A bulletin just handed me," said the chairman excitedly, “reports the White Whale is now in front of the House of Parliament.”

Out through the single door poured the 250 men. Down to the banks of the oily, muddy Rhine they ran to join several hundred spectators. On foot, by bicycle, by car and by boat the crowd followed the whale as it swam upstream with magnificent disdain.

The White Whale, inevitably nicknamed “Moby Dick” by the West Germans, has captured the imagination of the country. Top Billing His adventures in the polI luted Rhine share billing in German newspapers with Vietnam and politics. I The 16-foot-long beluga, a 1 species of whale generally - found only in Arctic waters, > wandered into the Rhine ■ from the Netherlands last : month.

At Dusseldorf, 175 miles upstream, he turned back for several days, only to reverse course a second time. He reached Bonn on Sunday, went downstream to a deep pool on Monday, then renewed his swim upstream. All attempts to capture the whale have failed.