LOSS OF WAIRUNA

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9790, 13 October 1917, Page 7

LOSS OF WAIRUNA

THE COURT’S FINDING HVIDBNOE POINTS TO SOME ENEMY ACTION. RECOMMENDATIONS TO SECURE SAFETY. Press Association. AUCKLAND, October 12. Tho following has bean released by the censor for publication: — The finding of tho Court of Inquiry to investigate tho loss of the Wairuna bas been delivered by Air CiiM.cn. He said: “I find and the assessors agree with me that there is not sufficient evidence to enable us to make a definite finding as to the cause of the loss of the Wairuna, nor as to the_ time _or place of such loss, but by elmamating the leas probable causes it is possible to form a conclusion of some value. The ship loft Auckland on May 31st last for San Francisco direct. No further news has been obtainable. it may,' therefore, be assumed that she has been lost. The cause of the loss may have been tho ordinary perils of the sea, or it may have been duo to enemy action, including in this expression destruction by mine, submarine, or raider, fire arising from the placing of some combustible material on board the vessel, and internal explosion from bomb placed on board before heir departure containing a timing mechanism to delay explosion till the vessel was well out to sea. The vessel left Auckland seaworthy, well found, well officered- and well manned. During what should have beon me period of her voyage fine weather prevailed and no submarine disturbance or extraordinary happening of any kind hns been reported. Rejparding a garbled wireless message received by the operator on another steamer, the court held that the evidence was nut sufficient to show that it came from the Wairuna; in fact, it may be taken that no message was received from tho Wairuna. As for the possibility _of fire, the probabilities are that a wireloss message would have been seat and boats launched. “Taking the evidence as a whole we think it improbable that tfaei vessel was lost by any of the ordinary perils of the sea and it is prcibable that the vessel was lost through etoemy action.” After a discussion of all aspet&s of such action, the court continues: “Wo think, therefore, that it is highly probable that tho loss was ctuised by enemy action, either through the operations of a raider dr through: tne placing of a timed bomb on board tho vessel before she left port, and of these two the latter is the more probable cause. “In view of our finding there are several considerations to which we feel impelled to refer. The evidence disclosed that a_numher of cases were shipped in tho vVairuna consigned by two Anns, one of which may be described as an alien enemy firm, and the other has active members of aliew enemy nationality; that no precautions whatever are taken to check the- contents of packages shipped; that mo precautions are taken to search tho persons and luggage of those going on to a vessel; that insufficient precautions are taken to prevent undesirable persons going on to wharves and vessels and working on wharver and Vessels; that insufficient precautions are' taken while a vessel is in port to prtovent persona reaching the vessels from the sea end of the wharf and from boats going alongside the vessel. “We make the following recommendations for serious and urgent consideration by the Government: — ' (1) That stricter precautions he taken to prevent the approach of unauthorised persons to vessels and wharves. (3) That stricter precautions be taken to prevent undesirable men being’employed on vessels and wharves. (3) That firms having members of alien enemy nationality be not permitted to ship goods. (4) That all persons going on. board vessels be searched and all luggage to be taken on to vessels bo examined. (5) That all cargo for shipment be packed under Government supervision and bo retained thereafter under Government control until -shipped. (6) That if there are cases where compliance with the immediately preceding recommendation is not practicable, in such cases packages be retained in Government control for an indefinite time before shipment. AN OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT With reference to the recent official announcement in tho press that the German raider had been responsible for the sinking of tho s.s. Wairuna, it is now officially stated by tho Naval ■ authorities in New Zealand that there is no truth whatever in the rumour that the Wairuna’s crow were landed on any part of the American coast.