NOTABLE ACQUISITION

Evening Star, Issue 22444, 15 September 1936, Page 9

NOTABLE ACQUISITION

AWATEA ENTERS TASMAN SERVICE FEW SUPERIORS IN SPEED [Per United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, September 15. The Awatea leaves for Auckland and Sydney to-night. There was a big luncheon party aboard to-day, the directors entertaining the GovernorGeneral (Viscount Galway), members of the Government, Harbour Board, executive officers of State departments, and others. The managing director of the Union Steam Ship Company (Mr Falla) said that the building of the Awatea followed immediately the pronouncement of a policy of safeguarding British shipping announced by both New Zealand and Australia in September, 1934. A reference to Lloyd’s Register disclosed that, of the existing ocean-go-ing vessels iu excess of 10,000 tons, with a speed of 22 knots or over, there were only six owned in the British Empire, and the Awatea was one. She would not be out to break records, but he mentioned that, excluding the crossChannel vessels, her only superiors in speed were the Empress of Britain and the Queen Mary. In radio telephony and electrical equipment she was the equal of anything afloat. The toast of “ The Awatea ” was proposed by Viscount Galway and acknowledged by the commander of the ship (Captain Davey).