ZAMBESI CASE

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2340, 23 December 1914, Page 5

ZAMBESI CASE

VESSEL CONDEMNED DECISION 0F PRIZE: COURT '- (Rec. December 22,-8. ' Sydney, December 22, The Chief Justice, Sir S>- W.-Griffith', in delivering his. reserved judgment on the Zambesi case, said the Zambesi was a British ship, registered''in 1 London. On August 5 German officials-at Nauru received wireless information that Germany was at war with Britain,'. Francs and Russia.- Wireless communication between Nauru and Rabaul failed.-and it became important to find other means of. communication because of the large number of coded wireless • messages received from Berlin for. the German possessions in the Pacific, presumably ' conveying' "information -required by the existence of war. The result was that the agents at Nauru placed the ship at the 'disposal of the enemy Government for purposes of the., most. hostile character, not only the agent, but the enemy • Government, carried on a mission for the completion.of.,wireless.apparatus at Rabaul. for .the, purpose' of the important maintenance of communication between Berlin and the outlying possession of. the German-Empire, also l inter-communication .between the German possessions and ships of the enemy carrying wireless; but the same agent was also carrying dispatches of the utmost importance. Furthermore .the •agents actually sub-chartered the ship to the enemy Government, therefore, he held the Federal Government's claimof condemnation of the ship and carp* must be sustained.