ON THE SEA.

Taihape Daily Times, 11 July 1918, Page 5

ON THE SEA.

MAKING UP THE LOSSES. LONDON, July 9. 1 In the House of Commons, replying to a question, Mr. Bonar Law said that he did not think the matter of demanding the surrender of enemy merchant ships equivalent to the tonnage submarined coula be discussefl usefully at this stage of the war.

SUCCESS OF CONVOY..

Received 8.50 a,m, LONDON, July 10

Mr Ghiozza Money, says the results of ocean convoying continue to be proved since its H inception in January, 1917. A dead w T eight capacity of 42,000,000 tons has been convoyed to British and French ports, with the loss of 1.29 per cent.

THE RIGHT TO SEARCH

OP NEUTRAL VESSELS,

Received 8.50 a,m,

LONDON, July 10

Lord Robert Cecil, (Minister for Blockade, said the Government fully recognised the vital importance of maintaining the right to visit and search neutral ships. Nothing in connection with the Dutch convoy could be regarded as an abandonment or modification of that right. Holland supplied full particulars of cargoes and guaranteed there were no goods of enemy origin, and the Netherlands Government had been given an assurace there w T as no question of raising the whole question of the right of search.

MORE SUBMARINES IN AMERICAN WATERS.

Received 11.15 a.m. NEW YORK, July 10. It is reported that submarines arc again operating off the American coast. J SHIP BURNT AT SEA. ARRIVAL OF SURVIVORS. ’ ' AUCKLAND, this day. The crew of the British sailing ship Inverness, which w"as burnt at sea and abandoned on April 24, have arrived here by an island steamer. -SCO lives were lost. The fire was caused by spontaneous combustion in the coal loaded at a South African port. One boat’s crew was adrift for, eight days. The survivors reached Papeete and were cared for by the British Consul. THE COMMONWEALTH FLEET SYDNEY, July 10. Two further contracts for eight steel vesesls of 5500 tons are being placed bringing the Commonwealth’s fleet to 95 ships of 388,426 tons. PERILS OF THE SEA. ,IN THE LIGHT OF THE WIMMERA SYDNEY, July 10.

W. F. Sedgcbecr, a Wimmera survivor, in a i’rcss interview, expresses the opinion that only persons having legitimate business should be allowed to travel cither on the Australian coast or across the Pacific in war-time in his ship, both to- New Zealand and on returning to Australia, the majority of the saloon passengers were old me n women, and children. Quite a number of the passengers were going to New Zealand to see whether Desert Gold or Biplane was the faster animal. He. considered it little short of scandalous that persons unable to look after themselves in the event of accident should be allowed to travel at sea, when their only object was pleasure. In view of the experiences of the Wimmera, he suggests that all exits of ships should be lighted similarly to theatres, as under the existing conditions, as soon as the engine-room is flooded a ship is thrown into darkness. He also suggests that as soon as a vessel reaches her destination the lifeboats should be thoroughly overhauled. He alleges that the boat he had taken to when the accident happened, carried no chocolates, and the water was very brackish. Valuable time was lost in knocking the wooden covers *from the lifedb'q'ats. , He always understood that the covers had to be removed as soon as a ship sailed. Mr Sedgcbecr makes complaint in respect to the treatment the passengers received in Auckland at the hands of officials. SEAPLANES ATTACK SUBMARINE LONDON, July 9. The Admiralty reports that a British submarine, patrolling the East Coast was attacked on the afternoon of the 6th by five enemy seaplanes with bombs and machine gun fire. The submarine suffered only slight damage and was towed to harbour by another submarine. One officer and five men were killed.