SURVIVORS LANDED

Evening Star, Issue 23375, 19 September 1939, Page 9

SURVIVORS LANDED

SINKING OF THE COURAGEOUS FATE OF CAPTAIN NOT KNOWN LONDON, September 18. (Received September 19, at 1 p.m.)' A destroyer landed nearly 400 survivors of the Courageous. It is not known how many the merchant ships rescued. A survivor said the orders to abandon ship came after five minutes. She foundered after 30 minutes. Some of tho boats could not be used owing to the vessel heeling so quickly. There were two distinct explosions at an interval of about one second, also a few minor explosions. Most of the crew jumped into the water. Besides destroyers and British merchantmen, a Netherlands liner and an American freighter gave assistance. The fate of Captain Jones is unknown. He was last seen on the bridg# ordering abandon ship. TWO VIOLENT EXPLOSIONS “ SHIP SEEMED TO BE LIFTED " LONDON, September 18. (Received September 19, at 2 p.m.) The ship’s company of the Courageous numbered over 1,100. Paymaster Sub-lieutenant I. F. Westmacott, the captain’s secretary, said! “ I 'was having supper, when I heard two violent explosions, which seemed to lift the ship. All the lights went- out. I made my way to the seaplane platform. The men waiting there did not seem to realise that the ship would sink so soon. Suddenly the order was given to everyone to get into the water. Soma went to floats, and others got boats out. I just stripped off and jumped into the water, where I swam about for 40 minutes, and reached a destroyer. Everyone was calm, cracked jokes, and carried on with whatever jobs they were doing before leaving the Courageous.” AMERICA'S POLICY THE NEUTRALITY ISSUE WASHINGTON, September 18. (Received September 19, at 11.45 a.m.)’ President Roosevelt has invited Mr Landpn and the known titular heads of the Republican Party to participate' in a conference of the nation’s leaders at White House on Wednesday to consider America’s neutrality programme, Mr Knox, who was Mr Landon’s running mate in 1936, said President Roosevelt would achieve “ remarkable statesmanship if he included the leaden of opposing parties in his Cabinet.” It is understood that the conference is designed not only to enlist the support of both parties for the neutrality proposals, but to , determine Strategy to keep isolationist voices at a low pitch in order to avoid the belief abroad that the nation is widely divided on President Roosevelt’s foreign policy. SHIPS OF BELLIGERENT COUNTRIES ACTION BY AMERICA WASHINGTON, September 18. (Received September 19, at 1 p.m.) The Bureau of Marine Inspection of Navigation announced that the Government will seize ships of belligerent i countries fraudulently transferred to the American registry. RUSSIAN NAVY PURCHASES IN AMERICA EVIDENCE OF NEGOTIATIONS Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyrighl WASHINGTON, September 18. (Received September 19, at 11.25 a.m.)’ Sam Carp, claiming to be brother-in-law to M. Molotov, testified before the Dies Committee on August 16 that the Soviet commissioned him in 1936 t» purchase 100,000,000d0l worth of battleships and other equipment here. When negotiations for the battleships failed Russia sent a second commission in February, 1939, to negotiate for the construction of destroyers, plans for whjcb were still with the State Department awaiting authorisation. The vessel* were to be without guns, later to b*. mounted in Russia. ITALIAN AMBASSADOR NEW APPOINTMENT TO LONDON i ROME, September 18. (Received September 19, at 1 p.m.) Signor Giuseppe Bastianini, Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs, has bee* appointed Ambassador to London.. NAZI POLICE SPIES ARRESTED OH EX-KAISER’S ESTATE LONDON, September 18. (Received September 19, at 11 a.m.) The ‘ Daily Mail ’ says the Netherlands secret police arrested two Nazi police spies in the gardens of the exKaiser’s estate at Doom,