THE WAIRUNA ENQUIRY.

Hokitika Guardian, 17 October 1917, Page 3

THE WAIRUNA ENQUIRY.

REPORT RELEASED

[PKR PRESS ASSOCIATION. COPYRIGHT.]

WELLINGTON, This Day. The report of the proceedings of the inquiry into the loss of the W aii-iina is now released by the censor, states that) Captain Plunkett, Lloyd’s Surveyor, in his evidence said the WaiIruna was soaworllvy. Further precautions should be taken for the safety of all vessels loading, and all passengers’ luggage ought to lie searched. Captain Stott, Marino Superintendent for the Union Coy produced a list of all men employed on the ship at Dunedin, Lyttelton and Wellington. He did not think the vessel was lost through the ordinary perlis of the sea. Captain Robinson who supervised the. loading at Auckland said the cargo was not examined. All tho men working had’ t° show military certificates, and the police gave warning regarding all undesirable characters. Louis Arnoldson a member of the 1 firm of Lichtenstein, Arnoldsop and Cloy, gum me fob ants, said his firm shipped gum in tho Wairuna. consigned to tho British Consul at Now York, hut the ultimate consignees were Klipstein and Co., New York. For ft while his firm was on the British “Black List.” None of the witnesses’ partners were aliens. 'Asked if Lichtenstein was not born in Memel, witness said “No.” ho was a Russian, a: native of a place called Kamel. Witness said lie could not explain the statement in the “New Zealand Encyclopaedia”' that Lichtenstein was horn in Memel, in the north of , Germany in 1874. Max Lichtenstein, a member of the j firm said lie was horn in Russia, of Russian parentage. I Counsel asked, “Have you ever \ made a statement to the contrary.” j Witness: —"I’ll answer no questions ! as to what I said twenty years ago.” | Witness reiterated his denial that any of his firm was German. He had •j never been in Menial. I Werner Langguth, gum merchant '■ gaid be employed no one of enerpj nationality. He left the packing o the produce to his foreman. Custom! officers could inspect his store at air time. ' L. R. Maxwell, gum merchant, urg od the better supervision of cargo-load ing, the. cost whereof could be divide! between the ship, shipper, insurer consignee and the Government, 1 The Court’s finding has alread been reported. [The following was t(ie finding ( n the Court of Enquiry:—“lt is high] probable that the loss wnfc caused h 1 enemy action, either through open tions of a raider, or through the pla e ing of a timed bomb on hoard the ve s sel before she left port; and of the. 1 1 two, the latter is the more probab T 1 eauso.l i-