AUSTRALIAN NAVY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 December 1940, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN NAVY

NINETY PER CENT IN OWN WATERS FINE RECORD BUILT UP. STATEMENT EY MR HUGHES. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 9.0 a.m.) SYDNEY, This Day. Reviewing the activities of the Australian Navy, the Minister of Navy, Mr Hughes, announced that ninety per cent of the Australian naval ships were now in Australian waters. He was not permitted to say more than that. He claimed that Australian ships had built up a fine record “apart from co-operat-ing with the Royal Navy in patrolling the trade routes of the world. Our ships had already sunk one enemy cruiser, destroyed several enemy submarines and destroyers and torpedoboats, shot down enemy aircraft and captured enemy merchant ships,” he said. Mr Hughes also praised the operations of other units of the Australian Navy, namely minesweepers, sloops and other auxiliary craft, which were constantly at sea patrolling the coastline ever since war began.

QUITE UNDEFENDED UNDER TERMS OF LEAGUE MANDATE. NO JUSTIFICATION FOR ENEMY'S ACTION. MELBOURNE, December 27. The Prime Minister, Mr Menzies, announced: “An enemy raider heavily shelled the island of Nauru shortly after daybreak today. Buildings and plant were severely damaged, but there were no casualties. The raider attacked under a Japanese name and Japanese colours. “Nauru is entirely undefended against such attack and must be so under the terms of the League of Nation’s mandate by which it is-administered. This fact is well known to the enemy and in itself removes any justification whatsoever for his action. “His crime is aggravated by the fact that he used neutral colours—those of a country with whom we are at peace.” REQUEST TO JAPAN. SYDNEY, December 27. The Australian Associated Press has asked for a Japanese Government report on the shelling of Nauru. SPECULATION IN LONDON FOR USING JAPANESE COLOURS. CHANCE OF CREATING INCIDENT. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.55 a.m.) RUGBY. December 27. Observers in London, noting that Nazi forces have now added an attack on the undefended island of Nauru to the record of attacks on unarmed ships and open towns, wonder if the choice by a German raider of Japanese colours under which to masquerade in this attack may be prompted by a rather crude idea of creating an incident involving Japan.