GERMAN MINES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 56, 30 November 1918, Page 7

GERMAN MINES

: -; '. 5 SWEEPING THE FIELDS i AN INTERESTING STATEMENT. In the House of Representatives yesterday Mr. W. A. Veitch (Wanganui) protesKil that Wanganui harbour was suffering severely and coastal shipping was diiorganised under- the regulations': framed in connection '»ith Germau mines. He thought the precautions taken were out of all proportion to the danger realty involved... The Minister of Marine (Hon. T. M. Wilford) said that the way in'which information about the minefields off the Ne\i- Zealand coast had reached the Government was a romance in it-self. Directly the information came to hand, the Naval Adviser fi'eeuretl' the only two trawlers available in the Dominion for minesweeping purports. The sweeping of the mines was no simple matter. The minc.-s were moored in depths of up to fifty fathoms. Under the influence of a strong current they would go down below the depth at which they would nominally bo found. Then the ounvnt would change, or mod-ohilc and the mine would, conio up again. The danger-was very much greater than some people believed. The naval authorities had put out final-; oil the minefield' end had got proof that Wanganui and Foxtdn wen , in a dangerous position, lliues were liable to ili-ifl ashore on that portion of the const. The German raider that laid mini's round the New Zealand coast left. Germany with 600 mines, t-o complete Wiethe British intelligence system that with (he exception of two the positions where these mines hiul been dropped were known. The trawlers had done marvellously gou'd-work, and thu country, owed the .officers.and crews a groat debt of gratitude!' Some 35 mines had been located and destroyed. But there were other mines to bo dealt with, and New Zealand could not at the present lime get .dredges or trawlers in the numbers required. '" The officer who bad been engaged iii' north of New Zealand had now jjoiib (o another pninl of danger. ■ Mr. J. -V. Brown '(Napier) said it had been .staled by a prisoner thai 50 mines had been laid oil' the New Zealand coast, L'.i at.ono point and 25 at another. Thirly-five had been destroyed, so there could not be many left. Mr: Wilford said he bad no doubt (hat some- of (he mines bad destroyed themselves. TJiey would be liable tn exnlode if (hey touched a rock or any oilier hard substance. Sir Joseph Ward mentioned that the Government bad nlreadv communicated villi till , . Imperial Govenunenl with Hie object of gelling information from Germany about' the minefields.