THE CORMORANT INCIDENT

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 126, 18 November 1911, Page 5

THE CORMORANT INCIDENT

ANOTHER "SNAKE" STORY. By Cable—Press Association -Copyright. Received 17, 11.20 p.m. London, November 17. The German Consul-General declares that the cabled Cormorant incident at Suva is pure fiction. When he first heard of the story a month ago lie cabled to the German Consul at Fiji, who reported that when the Cormorant arrived there was no British warship in the harbor. Two arrived within a couple of days. The intercourse between the Cormorant's officers and the Government officials was entirely friendly. The Cormorant's commander and offie*rs were present at a party given by the Governor in honor of the warship Cambrian's officers. The Cormorant remained for six days at Suva. The Consul also denies the Melbourne statement that a German cruiser of strong power and armament had been cruising among the Pacific Islands within striking distance of Australia. Only two small German cruisers, the Cormorant and the Condor, and the survey ship Planet, were in these waters. The officer in charge of the Garden Island naval station declares there can he no trutli in the Suva story. Otherwise the naval authorities would have heard of it.

A message from Vancouver stated that the steamer Marama brought a report that the captain of the Herman cruiser Cormorant at Suva asked permission to send important cables to Germany, hut the captain of the British cruiser PronietJietis refused, giving the German war-' ship a brief time to leave the harbor. The latter left.