A TEUTONIC BLUNDER

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2700, 21 February 1916, Page 6

A TEUTONIC BLUNDER

4 GERMAN-AMERICAN CONSPIRATORS. Writing on the subject of the Ham-burg-America conspiracy trial, the New York correspondent of the "Central News" says:— "Teutonic thoroughness of detail, of which a great deal is being heard just now, was at fault in one instance brought out by the cvidenco offered on the last day of the Government's case. It appears that when tile accused German citizens chartered and sent forth tram Philadelphia the steamship Unita, laden with supplies for German warships—all of which the defence conceded—they overlooked the detail that the skipper of the Unita was a loyal British subject. * Doubtless the name of tho Unita's captain, limil Olsenj had misled them. Olsen was born in Norway, but many years ago was naturalised in Canada.

"When the Units started from Philadelphia he was told lie was to,clear for Cadiz, with his cargo, but as soon as the Delaware Capes had been passed a Hamburg-America supercargo, who had come aboard with a letter directing the skipper to obey tho supercargo's instructions, told him that what ho really was supposed to do was to coal and supply German warships on the high seas. i

" 'Nothing doing, I told the supercargo, 1 said Captain Olsen in his .evidence, which 'caused much laughter in Court. 'So tho supercargo offered me 500 dollars to change my course. Nothing doing—nothing doing for a million dollars. The third day out he offered me 10,000 dollars. Nothing doing. So I sailed the Unita to Cadiz, and after lve got thero 1 sold the cargo, and then looked up the British Consul. "Defending counsel suggested that the supercargo thought Olsen was a Norwegian or a Swede, and picked the wrong man to betray his country for 10,000 dollars. 'Be sure did,' bellowed the skipper."

Most of Amsterdam is built on piles, the town hall-standing on no fewer than 13,000.

Included in the mail received by the Mayor on Saturday were letters from the Wairarapa Farmers' Go-operative staff enclosing yet another subscrijjtlon to the Wounded Soldiers' Fund, of M 65.; a gift of ,£2O for relief of Russian prisoners in Germany, from Mr. D. Anderson; if from Sirs. William Murphy for the Mayor's Fund | also ,£lO from the Marlborough Patriotic Committee; .42 from llr. W. D. Ferguson, and 10s. from Mrs. M. Myers for the Travelling Kitchen Buffet Fund. The Mayor also received advice from Mesdames A. Fernandez.and S. Brice statins that the realisation of the Goldie's Brae Red Cross tea was J!U 4s. Gd. He regards. the correspondence lind accompanying cheques as a satisfactory morning mail, considering this is a half-day.

It is anticipated (states our Napier correspondent) that nearly ,£7OO will be available for tlie French Red Cross Fund as tho result of the recent collections in Napier. Mr. J.-T. Lipscombe, manager of the Bank of Australasia, dkl the most of the organising as well as tho secretarial worlt.

, Mr. _S. George Jfathan, land agent, Customhouse Quay, advertises that lie . has a modern G-roomed dwelling at Khandallah for sale. Particulars are in tho advertisement. Messrs. Gilchrist and- Kicld, Palmersbon North, announce that they have a leasehold sheep and cattle property of 000 odd acres for immediate sale. • Oil Wednesday iiext Messrs. Abraham and Williams, Ltd., will held their usual Johnscnville stock 6ale, commencing at 2.15 p.m. * A large yarding of sheep and cattle will be auctioned at Messrs. W. and G. Turnbull and Co.'s usual weekly stock sale at their Waipoua Yards, Masterton, on Wednesday next