LOSS OF THE WAIRUNA

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 16, 13 October 1917, Page 8

LOSS OF THE WAIRUNA

FINDING OF COURT OF INQUIRY

BOMB THE MOST PROBABLE CAUSE STRICTER PRECAUTIONS ADVISED By .Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, October 12. The following has been released by the censor for publication-.— The following is the finding of tho Court of Inquiry set up to investigate the loss of the Wairuna, delivered by Mr. Cutten:—"l find, and the assessors agree with me, that there is not sufficient evidence to enable us to make a defiuito finding as to tho cause of tho loss of the AVairuna, nor as to the time or tho place of such loss; but by eliminating the less probable causes, it is possiblo to form a conclusion of some value. The ship left Auckland on May 31 last for Han Francisco direct. No further news has been obtainable. It may therefore be assumed she has been lost. The cause of tho loss may have been tho ordinary perils of the sea or it may havo been due lo enemy action, including in this expression the destruction by mine, submarine, or raider, tire arising from the placing of soma combustilo material on''board the vessel, and internal explosion from a bomb placed on board before her departure, containing timing mechanism to delay the explosion till tho vesvel was well out to sea. Tho vessel loft Auckland seaworthy, well found, well officered, and well manned. During wiiat should have been the period of her voyago tine'weather prevailed, and no submarine disturbance or extraordinary happening of anv kind has been reported, liegarding the garbled wireless message received by the operator on another steamer, tho Court held that tho evidence was not sufficient to show it came from the AVairuna; in fact, it may be taken that no message was received from the AVairnna. As for the possibility of fire, the probabilities are that a wireless message would have been sent and boats launched. Taking the evidence as a whole, we think it improbable that the vessel was lost by any of the ordinary perils of the sea. and it is probable tho vessel was lost through enemy action." After discussion of all the aspects ot such action, the finding the Court continues: "We think, therefore, it is highly probable the loss was caused by enemy action, either through the operations of a raider or through tho placing of a timed bomb on board the vessel before she left port; and of these two the latter is the more probable cause. In view of our finding there arc several considerations to which we feel impelled to refer. The evidence disclosed that a number ot cases were shipped in the Wairuna consigned by two firms, one of which may be described as an alien enemy firm, and the other has active members of nlien enemy nationality; that no precautions whatever are taken to check the contents of packages shipped; that no precautions are-taken to search the persons and lu<»iwe of those going on to a vessel; that insufficient precautions are taken to prevent undesirable persons going on tD wharves and vessels and workin" on wharves and vessels; thai, msufhcient precautions are taken while a vessel is in port to prevent persons reaching the vessel from the sea end of the wharf and from boats going alongside the vessel. . / "We make the following recommendations for serious and urgent consideration bv the Government:— "(1) That stricter precautions be taken to prevent the approach of unauthorised persons to vessels and

wharves. "(2) That stricter precautions be taken to prevent undesirable men being employed on vessels and wharves. "(3) That firms • having members of alien enemy nationality be not per-

mitted to ship goods. "(i) That all persons going on board vessels'be searched, and all luggage to be taken on to vessels be examined. "(5) That all cargo for shipment be ■ packed under Government supervision and be retained thereafter under Government control until shipped. "(6) That if there arc cases where compliance with the immediately pre- . ceding recommendations is not practicable, in such cases packages be ' retained in Government control for an indefinite time before shipment."

AN OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT. Willi reference to the recent official announcement in the Press that the German raider had- not been responsible for the sinking of the s.s. AVairuna, it is now officially stated by the naval authorities in Ne-v Zealand that there is no truth, whatever in the rumour that the Wairuna's crew were landed on any part of the American coast.