DIOMEDE INCIDENT

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 3, Issue 672, 26 October 1933, Page 5

DIOMEDE INCIDENT

(Press Assn.-

captain graham says matter entirely •" trivsal VISITORS ON SHIP

— By Telegraph— Copyright).

Christchurch, W ednesday Interviewed regarding the singing of "The Red Flag" by some of the New Zealand ratings, Captain Graham said the affair.was very trivial. H.M.S. Diomede had only recently completed refitting, and it was beeause of the necesSity for pushing on with certain work, in view of an impending inspection, that the men were kept at work for two hours in the afternoon of Labour Day. No extra leave had been promised, but leave men had been given an hour and a-half extra. To show how little importance was attached to the occurrence, some hundreds of visitors were admitted to • the sliip immediately afterwards. *

When H.M.S. Diomede was commissioned a few months ago, continued Captain Graham, he *told "the crew that any man could obtairi access to him at any time to state a grievance or any other personal matter. That rule was still in force. He had -had the New Zealand ratlflgs paraded before hirii yesterday morri' ing, and ' had not even 'reprimanded them. He stated to them that h'e' and most of the officers werd 'gtiests of England to give the New Zealand ratNew Zealand, having come out * from ings the benefit of their experience; and as guests they were entitled 'to courteous treatment. * '.'The request I did make," said the Captain,- "was that if they must sing that good old tune'to which the words of "The Red Flag" are written they should sing it in the origirial Germatt words which are " so much finer 'thdri the English words." ■ j . H.M.S. Diomede sailed this morning 'for- Akaroa, as arranged, to'riiCet the flagship, H.M-S. Dunedin.