MANAWATU EVENING STANDARD Circulation, 3.200 Copies Daily. THURSDAY, MAY 24 1906. SHIPPING IN WARTIME.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 8196, 24 May 1906, Page 4

MANAWATU EVENING STANDARD Circulation, 3.200 Copies Daily. THURSDAY, MAY 24 1906. SHIPPING IN WARTIME.

Thk basis of the scheme of the coming British naval manamvres will, it is said, appeal strongly to shipowners, as tending to make clear the position of their great industrym the event of a maritime war involving Great Britain. The essential features o£ the scheme are these : The contemplated operations are to take | place between June 22 and July 2. Their area is to be the open sea between the south coast of England and the latitude of Gibraltar. The steamers to be included, in the operations (they are not to be mail or passenger boats, i or vessels carrying live stock or perishable eargees) are outwardbound steamers proceeding via the Mediterranean and South Atlantic, and Homeward bound steamers via the Mediterranean. An invitation i# to be issued to shipowners expecting to have steamers entering the above area between June 23 and 29, to allow such vessels to participate. The role of enemy will bo allocated to one naval division, and of defender to another. Merchant vessels participating will be provided with and will carry distinctive indications of the fact. Sealed instructions will be given to the captains for their guidance. On Jaly 2, at noon, hostilities will cease, as also will they

cease, so far as individual vessels are concerned, on capture or on their pajss. ing outside the area ot tlie operations, Co operating vesseH, outward bound, are to call at Falmouth or Milford. Haven, thence to sail under convoy in groups of a dozen or less. Homewardbound participants will receive instructions at Gibraltar. The convoyed I vessels will be required to follow instructions as to sailing in eotopauy— all quite m the old style, no doubt—and as 10 the measures or devices to be adopted m order to escape from vessels of theattaeking force. I'osstbly certain faster vessels, possessing a speed which m itself defensive, uwy be allowed to proceed direct from their point of sailing independently ; but probably there arc a good many points of &uehlike detail, which will be dealt with or altered nearer to the date of the manoeuvres. Vessels successfully over-

hauled by et&mf wUI &»vtf to lie-to until bwrded hj « rbtfing <trt#, and will nubvcqaeolly bo *Uoi**«nJ to pracccd on their voyage* carrying mdi* cation# accordingly.