NO NAVAL 'INCIDENT'

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 176, 12 August 1937, Page 5

NO NAVAL 'INCIDENT'

Americans & New Zeaianders at Canton Isiattd SOLAR-ECLIPSE PARTIES ■ — - S (By Telegraph — Press Aesoc'ialion,) HAMILTON, This Day. j An empllatie deiiial .that what has been 1'eferred to as a liavdl ihcident occurred during the visit of the solareclipse' expeditions to CaUton Island in June was given by the leaaer of the . New Zealand party, Mr B. Michie, wiien lectnring m Hamilton last ei/ening,. Mr Michie said that a report had been publislied that the ship on which the American party had reached Canton Island had refused to give ancbor-

age to H.M.S. Wellington, the New Zealand sloop which conveyed tlie members of the Dominion expedition to the island". Tbe report, he said, had been incorrectly writfcen. Thespeaker emphfttically deUied" its truth and maintained that no difference had ever occurred between the two ships. Mr Michie said tliat when the Wellington aiTived at Canton Island it i*e- ' quested tbe Ameficqii ship to mahe rooni for jt to anchor. It was true that the sliip "did not move, but Mr Michie gave an assuranee that it was not in defiance. He said tliat owing to difficult tides anchorage was not easy to obtain" and that the American ship did not weigjli anchor for fear of losing suitable anchorage. The members o£ her crev boarded the Wellington and lent assistance to the slooii's navigators and extended eVery aid in anchoring the Dominion ship. A friendly spirit had prevailed be- * tween the two expeditions at all times and to illustrate this Mr Michie showcd slides of social functions al'ranged by the two parties. The lecturer also denied that the AmericaUs had erected a plinth to proclaim American annexr/ on. ' The printli was mereiy commemorative of the visit of the solar-eclipse party and in memory of great scientists. Tne plinth erected by the New Zeaianders, however, proclaimed sovereignty over the island, although this had been done on behalf of Great -Britain by H.M.S. Leith some months before.